


The Beacon Hills Nymph

by cdavis594



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alive Claudia, Alive Vernon Boyd & Erica Reyes, Alternate Universe - No Hale Fire, Always Female Stiles Stilinski, BAMF Stiles, Birthday, Blow Jobs, Body Shots, But it's okay, Cunnilingus, Cute, Derek Smiles, Derek and Stiles are Mates, Derek is a douchebag, Drunk Dancing, F/M, Feels, Isaac Erica and Boyd joined the Hale pack after their pack was murdered, It wasn't Peter, Magical Stiles Stilinski, No Angst, Nymph Stiles, Oblivious Derek, Oral Sex, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pack Bonding, Pack Family, Pack Mother Stiles Stilinski, Peter is sane, Scott was bit by a rogue alpha, Sexual Content, Stiles has a pet wolf, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, True Alpha Scott, ish
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-29
Updated: 2015-06-09
Packaged: 2018-01-27 02:22:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 62,201
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1711490
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cdavis594/pseuds/cdavis594
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stiles finds out on her 13th birthday that she is a Nymphai; the Nymphai are responsible for the crafting of nature's wild beauty, from the arrangement and growth of the plants, flowers and trees, to the nurture of wild birds and animals, and the formation of rocky caverns, springs, wetlands and brooks.<br/>She also finds that Derek is her one true mate, only for him to be completely oblivious as she goes through high school and he spends his time at college.<br/>It is only when Derek surprisingly turns up at the Hale house early, after finishing his senior year in college, that he sees the woman Stiles has grown to become; Stiles is worldly and nobody fucks with her, because she's awesome!<br/>Stiles and Derek are gonna live happily ever after because I love fluff and you don't get much fluffier than this!<br/>...There may also be some smut, but this is fanfiction, so what more do you expect?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Introduction to Powers, Pack and Pretentious Mates

When my mother told me that I belonged to a long line of protectors and peace-keepers for Beacon Hills, I will admit to laughing in her face; I laughed so hard I had tears in my eyes, but with the sober expression on her face, I quickly came to realise that she wasn’t joking. My mom had told me on my thirteenth birthday a change would occur in my body, in my soul, and in my essence; she explained that the women in my family – of which there had only been one in each generation – were Nymphai (or Nymphs), great keepers of the earth bestowed upon them.

For the past couple of decades my mom had maintained the natural world within Beacon Hills as a minor goddess of the forests, rivers, springs, meadows and mountains. She told me of the myths and legends and simple fairy tales, how the Nymphai are responsible for the crafting of nature's wild beauty, from the arrangement and growth of the plants, flowers and trees, to the nurture of wild birds and animals, and the formation of rocky caverns, springs, wetlands and brooks.

She sat before me now, eyes ablaze with a milky-white haze, replacing her usual molten honey brown irises so similar to my own; a wild, dark tangle of twining tattoos pulsed across every inch of her pale skin, fading towards her neck and jawline as she explained the power that she possessed. There had always been an elegance and a mystical air to my mom, but never before had I actually considered the _possibility_ that she actually was magic, and that she was about the train _me_ how to use that exact same magic; she would teach me how to harness the power of my home, my land, my life source, and I would then learn to use that almighty power to my advantage, and to the advantage of those around me.

“You see, Lysianassa, along with the maturing of your body, your very essence is changing along with it. Your senses will begin to heighten, your connection to the earth and its people will strengthen and with my help, and the help of our pack, you’ll soon be able to feel the true power that courses through your veins. My baby girl, there is so much to be taught, but first, I think it’s best you meet the people who are going to help me train you to protect and preserve our lands.” My mom too my hand and led me outside; we got into the car and she drove for ten or fifteen minutes, mostly through dense, sun streaked forestry, before parking in front of a magnolia coloured three story house with white shutters and a dark brown door.

We walked up the porch and I inspected the large, wrought iron knocker; the centre was morphed into the howling head of a wolf with large, glowing crimson eyes. Before I could reach out and trace the beautiful surface of the wolf, the door swung open widely to reveal a striking woman around my mom’s age; the woman oozed with authority and power, but the broad smile on her wide lips eased my erratic nerves. With eyes flickering over every flower-filled vase and family picture, I chewed nervously on my lip, fiddling with trembling fingers.

“Welcome Claudia, and Lysianassa, I hear from my youngest that you prefer to be called ‘Stiles’ nowadays? My name is Talia Hale, and I remember when you were born; it was like a light entered the world, you’re a very special young lady, and I assume it’s time for your training?” The woman – Talia – looked at me expectantly and, feeling like a deer caught in headlights, I swallowed loudly and willed my thumping heart to calm down.

“Your youngest?” I had a million different questions, but on the off chance that I actually knew this woman’s child, this one was definitely a safe one to start on.

“Cora, Cora Hale; she’s in your year?” Talia’s smile widened invitingly and I took deep breaths in and out, managing to calm my erratic heartbeat.

“Oh, yeah… Cora; she’s… popular,” I smiled through the only compliment I could summon for a person like Cora; she was the popular ‘I-don’t-care-I-can-do-what-I-want’ kind of girl, and definitely not the kind of kid Scott (my best friend for life) and I would associate with, “And yeah, call me Stiles.”

“Come on in to the kitchen, we’ll get a seat and something to drink.” Talia led us into a large family kitchen with a breakfast island, warm pine cabinets framing the steel appliances. “Do you mind me asking why you prefer ‘Stiles’? I mean, your real name is so beautiful and unique!”

My mom and I sat at the breakfast bar and I leaned against the cool cream granite as Talia rummaged around the kitchen absentmindedly.

“Oh, it’s simple really; nobody can  pronounce it, and I got sick of failed attempts, so it’s just ‘Stiles’, simple and easy and I like it,” I smiled at Talia, she was oddly charming and inviting and her presence made me want to speak more and more.

“Well, that’s quite justifiable! Would you like a camomile tea, juice, a Coke… water? My kids laugh at me when I offer them water…” Talia grumbled as she looked at me expectantly and I smiled, the thought of fresh water had my mouth watering; I had always preferred the more natural things, like water and vegies, and I guess now that made a lot more sense.

“I’ll take water, thank you.” She nodded and pulled a fancy looking water-filtering jug of water out of the refrigerator and filled a tall glass with the clear, bubbling liquid; she popped a few ice cubes into it and slipped in a long red straw before placing it in front of me. I licked my lips as my mom and Talia talked about me while Talia prepared two large mugs of camomile tea for them; I tried to listen in and understand for as long as possible, but my ADHD made that near impossible, and I soon found myself with wandering eyes.

I eyed the people in the photo frames around us; some with Talia and a very tall, well-built man with dark hair and bright grey-green-blue eyes, some with three children, a small girl, an older girl and a boy who seemed to linger between the two. Some pictures held people I assumed to be family and friends of Talia’s and I really wished to ask some of my questions; I had allowed the women to chat for long enough.

“Are you a- Nymphai too?” I asked tentatively and Talia looked at me from her seat beside my mom, amusement shone in her eyes and I didn’t like to think that her amusement was aimed at me.

“No, honey, my family and I are werewolves, we’re here to help your mom, and someday _you_ , protect Beacon Hills. I’m the Alpha wolf, the Betas in my pack take orders from me, but we are mostly all family, so they listen to their momma no matter what.” Talia giggled along with my mother at what they deemed worthy as a joke, but I stared at her incredulously; I mean, _freakin’ werewolves_?!

Just as I was about to ask more questions a tall, slightly muscled boy gleaming in a light coating of sweat burst through the back door clad in tight, revealing running pants and a dark, equally as muscle-revealing tank top; he stalked over to the fridge and I followed every long, fluid movement he made. He pulled a Gatorade out of the fridge and began chugging it down while I watched in awe and amazement at his bobbing Adam’s apple, the way his taught back muscles twisted along with his movements. This boy was a God; some kind of handsome Adonis sent to this earth to make a strange, overwhelming sensation positively hum inside my body.

“Derek! Manners! Were you born in a barn?” Talia glared playfully at the boy and he pulled the bottle away from his lips, looking back at Talia with a roll of his eyes.

“No, but I was raised by wolves,” He grinned and I swear I didn’t swoon, but in years to come, I’m sure one of the two women in the room would say otherwise.

“Oh please, no need to be a smart ass. You already know Claudia, but say hello to Stiles, Claudia’s daughter. Stiles is someday going to be Beacon Hills’ Nymph,” Talia smiled over at me and I shrank under the intense stare that the Godly boy – Derek – settled upon me.

“Congratulations, and welcome to the shit fest that is my family; run while you still can.” With this said, he smirked, winking at me as he excited the kitchen; the sound of feet pounding on the stairs had Talia rolling her eyes, but I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the place he had exited from.

“Language, young man!” Talia called after him and I licked my dry lips, drawing my attention back to her, “I swear that one just pisses me off for fun. Laura and Cora are great – given that Laura is in college – but Derek just… ugh, that boy, I swear.”

“Weren’t we all just ‘ _ugh_ ’ at that age; I remember when I was seventeen and John used to pick me up for our dates, and I’d sneak out of the house because my parents hated that John was such a damn trouble maker, then I’d have to climb back into the house through my bedroom window at the end of the night. I also remember the amount of trouble we got in, Talia; remember the time when we took John and Theo to your parents beach house in Fort Bragg?” My mom’s chatter filled the air while the lingering smell of Derek fogged my mind; his smell was obviously ruled by the strong stench of sweat, but there were underlying notes of mango and dark chocolate, mixed with a woodsy, nutty layer. It was intoxicating; so much so that I completely missed Talia’s response, but the two women cackled anyway.

“Lysianassa, honey, I know it’s been an overwhelming day, and I’m gonna run you a nice warm bubble bath when we get home, so how about you finish your water, preferably without spilling any, and we’ll get going?” My mom asked and I smiled up at her, nodding.

I finished the rest of the water in my glass and chomped gracelessly on a chunky ice cube; we stayed for another five minutes before my mom was leading me over to her car and we were once again driving down the long, mind-numbingly boring trail back to the main road.

“How are you doing? I know this is a lot to take on for a girl your age, and I know it’s a lot of responsibility, but trust me honey, it’ll be a long time ‘til you’re actually ready to defend yourself, let alone defend the entire town. Your training will probably finish when you’re roughly nineteen or twenty, so you’ve got a lot to learn and plenty of time to do so. Now, sweetie, you’ve gotta promise me that you won’t breathe a word of this to anyone, and you’ve gotta tell me if something happens to you; mentally or physically, because you’re my baby girl and you know I’m always here for you when you need to talk, got it?” My mom looked at me for a split second, and then looked back at the road, driving us back to our moderately pretty house. My mom’s amazing flowerbeds made the house look a lot more colourful than it actually was.

“Sure thing mom, just… can’t I tell Scott? He’s my best and only friend and I’d feel like a crappy friend if I kept such a huge secret from him. He wouldn’t tell anyone, I’d make sure of it.” I pleaded with her, walking up to the house in step behind her.

“I guess it wouldn’t hurt to have someone that could cover for you, Talia was always my cover up, and I hers… you can tell Scott, but make sure he’s ready for the responsibility and burden that our secret carries; we don’t want him freaking out and telling the whole world, now do we?” Mom asked rhetorically as I went to my room and she went to the bathroom.

“I will; I’ll invite him over to play some video games tomorrow and I’ll tell him after pizza; you know pepperoni knocks him right out.” I called to my mom while I turned on the wheezing computed at my desk, rolling my eyes as it took forever and a day to load the internet; our internet connection seemed sucky on a good day, but today it was being extra crappy.

I googled ‘Nymphai’ and scrolled through the results for about five minutes before my mom called me for my bath; I wasn’t ashamed to say my mom still ran me hot bubble baths and that I thoroughly enjoyed them. Plus, after the amount of information I took in today, I deserve a good bath.

I soaked in the bath for at least an hour, my mind tossing and turning the idea of nymphs and werewolves and all the other crap I’m going to have to learn, before I felt pruned to a point of no return and the rose water smell in the air evaporated.

I always dreamt of magic and mythical creatures, and what I’d do if I ever found out they were real, but when faced with your entire life’s worth of dreams and fantasies, it’s hard to guess what your real reaction would be. I never quite got around to freaking out about the entire situation, because somewhere deep down inside of me, I always knew there was something special about me, my family and Beacon Hills in general; I was able to relax and sleep peacefully with my newly earned knowledge, but nothing could have prepared me for the intense, sweat-breaking, blood-boiling training my mom and the Hale pack were about to put me through.

 


	2. I got the Cold Shoulder for my Birthday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's a year later, Stiles' 14th birthday and her love for Derek is beautiful and spectacular... and unrequited.  
> I like this chapter, it's funny, full of pack feels, 13 year old Scott, the Hale family and an ignorant Derek.

It was a year later, and I had learned how to do simple things like growing plants and herbs, and using those to mix up simple spells or potions, I also learned a lot about meditating and had started joining my mom and Talia at their weekly yoga sessions. I began slowly reading, dissecting and analysing my mom’s beastiary, creating my own copy – by hand, might I add – at my mom’s request; she gave me an absolutely gorgeous dark leather bound journal with thousands of blank white pages, along with the fire red ‘quill of a fallen phoenix’ and the recipe to the ink I had to use to write my beastiary. The ink recipe required pure squid ink, a handful of mountain ash – burnt to ashes, added to the mixture whilst smouldering – and a pin-prick drop of my blood, and to finish the Latin words "Ad haec in manu mea, Do sempiternum.” Which translated meant; “To these words with my hand, I give my eternal promise.”

That’s another thing I had learnt pretty quickly; Latin, and I was still a little crappy at it, but I could read it and speak it decently. And learning all of this had been strenuous to keep up with, but I quickly fell into a rhythm that made my learning much easier.

There remained only one thing – or rather, person – that had me on edge and excited about in every constant breathing minute; I spent so much time at the Hale house that it was practically a second home to me, and although Laura and Cora welcomed me with open arms, acting as the sisters I was pretty damn grateful for most of the time, there was still the last Hale sibling that managed to infuriate me and fill me with endearment at the same time.

Derek Hale couldn’t have ignored me more even if he tried.

Yet he was the only Hale that I truly longed to impress or please, and he brushed me off with mindless small talk, along with rubbing his multiple meaningless relationships – unknowingly – in my face.

I decided when shopping with my mom  last week for my ‘birthday outfit’ that I was ready for my first bra, and she agreed happily; I couldn’t really say there was much to my chest, but the padding of the cute green and while polka dotted bra would give the illusion of _something_ being there. Talia had insisted on my fourteenth birthday being hosted at the Hale house, as a real pack shindig that would last to the early hours of the morning due to the full moon being tonight, which also meant that Derek _could_ actually show up.

I simply _had_ to look my absolute best!

I had woken a lot earlier than I normally would and got a shower before my parents were even up. I made a pot of coffee, I drank some nervously and had sat in my computer chair staring at my outfit for the day in only my damp towel. Every nerve in my body hoped he liked the flowy cream sundress; it would stop just above the knee and there was a small navy bolero sitting beside it in case it got cold, which was unlikely, but I think my mom just liked to add girly clothes to the jeans and check shirts in my closet. Next to the dress sat my matching underwear and on the floor at the bottom of my bed were a brand new pair of off-white converse; my mom had been reluctant but I told her I’d get a lot more wear out of them than any other kind of shoe.

I slipped on the bra hesitantly, fighting with the clasps at the back until they were safely hooked into place; I then put on the rest of the outfit, adding a pair of white ankle socks and leaving the bolero on the light green bed sheets.

I looked in the mirror sceptically and ran a hand through my moderately wavy brown hair; it swept down to the middle of my back and I sighed, grabbing the hairdryer and splitting my parting slightly to the side. When my hair was dry, it still didn’t look great, but the knock at my door had my hopes lifting off the ground.

“Honey-bee- oh, you’re ready. Want me to do your hair, sweetie?” My mom asked and I grinned, nodding desperately; I had poured my heart out to my mom about my undying love for the Adonis that is Derek Hale, and she simply accepted it with a knowing smirk. She then went on to tell me that the pull I felt towards the older boy meant that he’s my mate; the soul to match my own and I believed her fully. Gone were the days that I doubted any of the ridiculous things my mom came out with.

“You’re nervous. Why?”                                                  

“It’s just… I don’t know- I want him to notice me, but I know he won’t; he’s so oblivious to me I have to wonder if what you said about us being mates is true? I mean, surely he should feel what I feel? I don’t get it… I don’t get him… scratch that, I don’t get men in general; Scott I can handle, ‘cause he’s a boy, but Derek,” I sighed dreamily, “Derek’s a _man_ , and he’s perfect and beautiful… and eighteen… he’ll be going to college after this summer and I’ll barely ever see him; it sucks, mom!” I complained as she ran a brush through my hair and began piling the length of it into a strange, messy bun at the back of my head, leaving some of the curlier waves to frame my thin face.

“Some males’ need to find companionship isn’t as strong as some females’, and Derek isn’t really the feelings kind of guy at the moment; he’s an eighteen year old _boy_ who has no idea what he wants in the future. Be patient honey, he’ll lose that blindness and he’ll see exactly what you are to him.” She stuck a few curling diamante grips into my hair and turned me around, pulling me into a tight hug. I was still only shoulder height on her, but she stood at a good 5’ 7”, so I was patiently waiting for my growth spurt.

“Thanks mom, it looks great, and I sure hope you’re right, there’s coffee in the pot downstairs; I’m just gonna go over the Kanima in the beastiary…” I trailed off, skipping over to my desk but my mom’s hand caught my wrist easily.

“Not in that dress; you can read, but there will be no ink of any sort near you today, got it? The Kanima is actually a marvellous creature; I know a woman in Montana whose husband is a Kanima and she has him perfectly trained to not kill, it’s quite spectacular. You go ahead and read, the party’s at eleven, Melissa and Scotty are coming over at ten-thirty so you’ve got an hour before you’ve gotta start socialising.” My mom left the room with that information and I smiled; Scotty had been amazing when he learned my secret, in his confused, puppy-eyed way, and as he persisted on joining m at the Hale’s house to learn, he had become accustomed to my weak magic and the awesome powers of the werewolves.

I did exactly what my mom told me, sticking arrow post-it notes in places I found important and interesting, and at around ten I made my way down to the kitchen where my mom stood at the stove making what smelled like the birthday pancakes she made every year for me; my dad stood behind her with his head on her shoulder, arms wrapped securely around her waist.

I scraped my chair back loudly, calling their attention to their birthday girl; my dad jumped, but my mom knew I was in the room the moment I stepped into it, so she merely continued to cook as my dad pulled me into a bone crushing hug.

“Fourteen, kiddo, how does it feel? You look beautiful, by the way; it’s the Stilinski in ya,” He grinned down at me, pulling me down into my usual chair at our round dining table to the right of the kitchen.

“Eh, I don’t really feel any different, but I just read about the Kanima, and they’re so cool, dad; they’ve got a paralysing venom and claws and a tail… and thanks; mom did my hair. Think Scotty’s gonna make fun of me for wearing a dress?” I asked and he chuckled, shaking his head as my mom placed a tall stack of birthday pancakes in front of me; they were white chocolate chip with maple syrup, freshly whipped cream and a mountain of chopped strawberries around and on top of them.

I devoured the pancakes as my mom and dad talked across the table to each other; I didn’t bother to listen in, knowing it was just boring adult crap anyway.

Before long, it was ten-thirty and Scotty arrived, bouncing with excitement, with Melissa rushing to keep up with the giddy thirteen year old boy; he held an extremely large rectangular box wrapped terribly in green wrapping paper with little purple frogs all over it and an abundance of tape _everywhere_.

“Hey Scotty!” I pulled him into a hug and the box toppled out of his arms, hitting the floor with a flow thud.

“Happy birthday, dude!”

“Ooo, mom said my gifts are _all_ being opened at the party, so I’m sorry to disappoint but you’re gonna have to wait a while before I open that monstrosity… there isn’t a dead body in it, is there?” I grinned, lifting the box and shaking; a faint rustling came from it, but it was surprisingly light for the size of the box.

“Nope, that could be Cora’s gift for you though,” Scott stuck his tongue out at me and I glared at him playfully; he found a strange amount of joy in poking fun at Cora.

“Cora’s not that bad; you’re just jealous she asked _me_ to sit at the cool table with her and told your sorry butt to stay where you were, but I’m an amazing friend, because what did I tell her?” I asked smugly and he rolled his eyes.

“You told her that if she wanted to sit with you then she’d have to move her ass over to our table because you like the view from your seat and it has the perfect ratio between the breeze from the open cafeteria doors and the sunlight from the windows. You’re so weird sometimes…” Scott grinned, his lop-sided jaw leaning slightly more to the right, popping dimples in his tanned cheeks.

“Melissa, that shade of purple is gorgeous on you! Look at me, I’ve still gotta put my dress on; do my hair and make-up look okay?” My mom rushed into the living room where Scott and Melissa had followed me; Melissa hugged me and wished me a happy birthday before following my mom up to my parents’ bedroom.

“Didn’t you say it’s the full moon tonight too?” Scott asked, taking a seat beside me on the sofa.

“Yeah, it’s gonna be awesome when all the non-werewolf adults stay inside for drinks and boring stuff, all the wolves and the kids go out into the preserve and why am I explaining this to you, you’ve been out with us on a full moon… anyway, it’ll be the same as usual when the moon comes out; my mom also said she’d take your mom home at around six; you brought your PJs and spare clothes, right?” I asked him and he nodded, seeming overly proud of himself.

“Yeah, my bags in the car, what time are we going?”

“Um… party’s at eleven and it takes about ten minutes to get there so… any time soon? I guess we’ll probably go when my mom’s ready,” As I said this, my mom came down the stairs wearing a knee length, white linen sundress with three-quarter length sleeves and she held my navy bolero in her hand as she and Melissa hurried around, checking last minute things; my dad joined us on the sofa in his usual check shirt and tan pants combo.

Scott actually looked really cute in dark jeans and a light blue button up; his cheeky grin and dimples watched me as I babbled on with guesses of what could possibly be in the box he brought with him. If the wicked look in his eyes had anything to do with it then I should probably be a little bit scared.

We left after my mom ran back into the house from the car twice and the long box from Scott was securely in the trunk of my mom’s car, and Scott and Melissa sat in the back with me while my dad drove and my mom talked to herself about things she had planned, then quickly reassuring herself that Talia was more than capable of setting up a birthday party.

When we got to the Hale house the grin on my face was practically hurting; I could feel the animalistic hum of the werewolves inside and it soothed any anxiety I had this morning. That could also be the extra Adderall pill I took this morning, but I wouldn’t be telling anyone else that.

I skipped up the porch steps, taking a deep breath of the fresh cut grass and cherry blossom smell in the air. Theo, Derek’s dad, was quite the skilled botanist and he sold his prize-winning flowers at the farmers market in town on a Sunday afternoon, and he was currently in the process of teaching me how to differentiate between the scents of different flowers.

Talia pulled the door open wide and pulled me into a warm, welcoming hug, “Happy birthday, Stiles! Well, aren’t you just the cutest little thing! Come on, Cora and Laura have placed a bet on whose gift you’ll like better, and you know how competitive they get; Laura being back from college is seriously dangerous, especially now she’s making her own money.” Talia laughed and I joined her, following into the large living room to see the grinning Hale pack.

There were seven smiling Hales watching me, all ranging from age nine to eighteen, and the twenty-one year old Laura sat there too, elbowing a bored looking Derek in the gut; he looked up from the thick book he was reading and gave me a once over, flashing a knee-shaking, earth-shattering, short lived grin that shook me to the bone, but as soon as it flashed across his face, it was gone and his attention was back to his book.

“What’s it like being fourteen? One step closer to being thirty, flirty and thriving?” Cora giggled and tackled me in a hug which I reciprocated quickly; wolves get the wrong impression if you don’t return their affection quick enough.

“Fourteen is honestly no different to thirteen, sorry to disappoint, but yes, I am one small step closer to that. Which reminds me, we should watch _Thirteen Going on Thirty_ again soon; it’s just too good not to-” I smiled and Scott threw himself down onto one of the sofas with Cora’s twelve year old cousin, Jeremy, who he had taken a shining to, seeing as Jeremy was one of the only other humans in the large pack.

There was Jeremy (eleven) and Hanna (sixteen) who were Theo’s sister’s kids – Hanna’s a wolf – then there’s Peter’s kids, Evan (nine), Lily (twelve) and Noah (fifteen), Evan and Noah are wolves, but Lily took her mother’s human gene, and finally Theo’s brother’s kids, Lois (fourteen) and Morgan (eighteen), Lois got the wolf gene whereas Morgan happily accepted the human gene. They seemed to take Cora tackling me to the ground as an invitation to a puppy pile, because I soon found all seven of their bodies – and Laura – snuggling into me.

The adults had explained that as a nymph, I stood as a constant mood booster for all werewolves – and most magical creatures really – and I actually enjoyed the puppy piles that commenced almost every time I arrived at the Hale house; of course, they weren’t all here all the time, and it was mostly just Laura and Cora who scented me the moment I stepped through the door, but at all the big family occasions, I stood as the dutiful relaxing pillow.

You probably already guessed this one, but Derek was never one of the people snuggling into my small body; he found the puppy piles ‘childish’ and ‘pointless’ but even I could feel the power surging around the pile of bodies. I reasoned with myself, saying that Derek just though he was too ‘cool’ to do something as cute and cuddly as a puppy pile.

“You have to open my gift first! It’s the best, hands down, shut your stupid face up Laura, nobody cares about you; just leave!” Cora cried, prying us off of the floor, only to pull me out to the back yard, when a monstrous mountain of beautifully wrapped gifts stood, beside a long, rectangular table that had endless amounts of finger-foods and easy-to-eat things; I beamed happily. This was all for me, and it was crazy to think that.

“Ugh, you’re such a loser, Cora, we all know mine is gonna trump _anything_ you could get her! I’m the older sister figure and Stiles loves me!” Laura ushered me closer to the mountain of gifts that stood almost as high as me.

Suddenly, Scotty ran forward, batting Cora purposefully on the head with the long box he carried and placed it with the rest of the gifts.

“Trust me; none of you can beat mine!” Scotty looked overwhelmingly proud and I once again worried about what he could have possibly got me to put that expression on his face.

“We’ll see about that you little twerp!” Cora glared at him, rubbing at the back of her head angrily; I laughed at them and allowed Laura to pull me over to an extremely large picnic blanket set out on the bushy green grass and before I could question her, she began pulling boxes and packages over to me, placing them where the younger members hadn’t taken up space around me. Scotty sat securely by my side, ever as protective, sending excited glances at me every so often.

The laughing and chatting adults all followed the kids out to the back yard with cameras – Peter held a very professional looking video camera with a delighted grin on his face as he captured the moment – and I shrugged, finally beginning to look at the tags on the gifts to see who they were from.

As I opened a small velvet box that was from ‘Talia, Theo and that idiot son who can’t shop for his own life’ – no joke, Talia’s beautiful handwriting literally said that on the tag – my hand shook slightly; in the box sat a thin, elegant silver chain, and the pendant clasped onto the chain was a delicate silver triskelion about the size of a quarter. At the end of each small spiral was a small, twinkling stone; one a shocking, crimson red, the next dazzling amber and the final was clear, sparkling crystal blue. I had no words, for once, and Scott fumbled to clasp it around my neck, sensing that I wouldn’t be able to do so myself.

I looked up to see Derek exciting the house, and his eyes settled on the necklace now securely around my neck and a small, soft, private smile fluttered across his face; I smiled back at him and looked down at the pendant, touching it gently where it lay flat against my chest.

“This is beautiful, I can’t… I don’t… you’ve managed to leave Stiles Stilinski absolutely speechless!” I cried, grinning at Talia and Theo, were they sat on a lawn chair, smiling calmly back at me.

“Beautiful people deserve beautiful things, and that goes to all of you,” Talia looked around at her pack lovingly and I looked back down at the necklace; it had to be one of a kind, because I’ve only ever seen the symbol on some of the Celtic designed things around the Hale house.

“Oh, oh, oh, open mine now Stiles! Open it!” Cora shoved a bright pink box into my hands and I set the necklace box aside with the rest of my gifts. I shook the box teasingly, looking over at Cora slyly as she impatiently watched me with hawk eyes.

I rolled my eyes and tore it open, revealing a blank brown box; I pulled it open and lifted a black pot out, filled with moist dirt. I raised my eyebrow and inspected the rainbow coloured swirls that covered the heavy clay pot that was roughly the size of a soccer ball.

“I ran all the way to North Carolina to get you the bulb of that trailing white monkshood stuff you said you couldn’t find in dad’s garden for some spell. I had to ask the Alpha of the territory – who is one of the biggest hicks I’ve ever met – if I could run around his forests looking for that specific type of wolfsbane and he thought I was crazy, and made his disgustingly sleazy, hick son go with me to make sure I didn’t ‘cause any trouble’. I swear to god I could feel his eyes burning holes in my butt; he’s sixteen, I think you’d love to kick his ass, he’s a dick! Ugh, but anyway, how amazed are you?” Cora looked at me, impatient and expectant; I grinned back at her, hugging the pot to my chest.

“This is amazing! You have no idea what I can do with this! With this strand of aconitum I can do protection spells and oh- with the liver of an owl, the crushed tooth of a dead omega and a little bit of alpha blood, I can make a warning spell around Hale territory that’ll make it near impossible for rogues to even enter our land…” I set the pot aside gentle and pulled Cora into a hug.

“Thank you, Cora. I’m completely amazed and baffled and surprised you even remembered! Laura, I really don’t know if you actually _can_ beat her on this one…” I looked up at Laura apologetically and she smirked from the bean bag she sat on at the edge of the picnic blanket.

She handed me a large, wriggling, red box with a giant red bow on top and I stood up to lift the lid off the box, revealing a small, dark, fluffy thing curled up in one corner, looking up at me with huge blue eyes; I squealed, unable to keep the strange, girly noise in and reached into the box with an outstretched hand.

I could see that my presence instantly calmed the little puppy and it carefully sniffed my hand, then decided I was safe, so it allowed me to pick it up and nestle it into my chest.

“He’s a wolf, not a dog.” Laura smiled at me and I panicked, looking at her worriedly.

“If he’s a wolf he shouldn’t be taken away from his pack?” I questioned her and she stood up, scratching behind his ear as he began to doze off in my arms.

“He wasn’t taken from his pack, not really; they were caught in a forest fire and he’s the only one that survived. I found him wandering round the forests outside New York after I heard about the fire; he was packless and defenceless, and he’s just so cute, I knew you’d be the perfect person to raise him, and you’ll obviously have our help. And I already asked your parents, so he’s all yours; all you’ve gotta do is give him a name,” Laura smirked down at Cora, who had joined me in petting the now sleeping wolf.

“What about ‘Shredder’” Scotty asked, grinning down at the little wolf; most of the kids around me had come closer to pet the wolf in my arms.

“Uh, does he look like much of a ‘Shredder’ to you? How about Anakin? Yeah… my little Anie! I shall call him Anakin and he shall be mine and he shall be my Anakin!” I rocked him slightly and sat back down on the blanket. “Don’t worry, Cora, nobody wins this bet because both are absolutely fantastic!”

I looked around and the only gift left was Scotty’s terribly wrapped one that Melissa obviously hadn’t helped him with for once; I grinned and placed Anakin into Cora’s happily awaiting arms.

Scott shoved the box in front of me and I began tearing at the paper to reveal a normal brown box; I opened it and looked down at a smaller brown box surrounded by polystyrene peanuts and I frowned, pulling the box out and opening it. Again, I was met by an even smaller box that was still fairly long and surrounded by rainbow coloured paper worms. I rolled my eyes and pulled the meter long box in front of my open to reveal a light, glossy baseball bat with a red grip around the handle and I lifted it out of that box to see a black scribble on the thickest part of the bat.

I squinted at it, reading out loud as I figured out what it said, “Willie… Mays… oh- my- freaking- god… _Scotty_! No way! You did _not_ get me a baseball bat signed by the most famous number 24 of all time! Holy crap! That’s Willie Mays’ signature! As in, the New York Mets, Willie Mays!” I cried, looking at the bat in awe; I was almost afraid to look at it, in fear of the signature just disappearing.

“It sure is, dude, you have no idea what I went through to get it, but the look on your face right now is _so_ worth it!” Scott initiated the puppy pile this time, pulling me to the floor in his hug, and the rest of the ‘kids’ in the pack joined us, giggling and mumbling into each other.

“Oh my god, you’ve gotta give it a few warm up swings, even if you never use it, it still deserves some swings!” Scott pulled me up and thrust the bat into my arms, gesturing to the open yard; I grinned and moved away from the small group of the people I had come to call my family.

I loosened my shoulders and stood with my legs a balancing distance apart and cracked my neck both ways before raising the bat  and pushing all of my power in to the swing my dad had taught me before I even turned seven.

Before I could quite comprehend what happened, my bat collided with something solid and I pulled my hands away quickly before they could do any more damage; the bat fell to the floor and I looked up to see that the bat had in fact hit some _one_ rather than some _thing._

Derek stood, glaring down at me menacingly, his earphones hung, still blaring out heavy metal like you wouldn’t believe, around his neck and I cowered under his burning gaze; a muscle in his jaw twitched, as if he was fighting with a smile and I looked down at my shoes in time to see him bend down, pick up the bat and hand it back to me. Although he was rough and angry looking, he handed me the bat gently and when my hand brushed his, I bathed in the electric feeling that pulsed through my body long after he let go and ventured back inside.

“Well… I’m sorry I maybe broke your son, Talia, it was an accident,” I turned and grinned sheepishly at my cackling family; Laura and Cora were holding each other on the grass, gasping for air.

“Or was it? We’d all like to take a baseball bat to my son sometimes, it just so happens that nobody thought to mention to you or Derek that the bat was headed straight for him. You must have a wicked swing because that boy was in a hell of a lot more pain than he would have you believe.” Talia shook her head, that annoyingly knowing look entering her eyes whenever the subject of Derek and me enter a conversation.

“Well, how about we eat?” My mom shooed everyone over to the long table of food and came over to me, putting a firm hand on my shoulder.

“If you get food on that dress I will search the deepest depths of my spell book for painful punishment that won’t leave a mark on your pretty little head, understood?” My mom’s cheesy, bright smile looked extremely scary with the crazy-eyes she was making.

“Yeah, understood; I’ll stay away from the sauces and do my damned best to stay clean!” I pulled away from her with a cheeky grin and ran to the table of food, joining in on the plate-piling that was taking place; I was proud to say I filled a plate just as enormous as the werewolves, grinning smugly when Scott looked at my plate with scepticism.

The food and the cake went down amazingly, and my sleeping Anakin never left the warmth of my lap as I ate and blew out the fourteen candles on the giant cake; when six o’clock hit, my parents and Melissa took off, leaving mine and Scott’s bags in the house for later.

Running with wolves really isn’t the easiest thing to do, especially in a cream dress, so I changed into a pair of worn out denim shorts, a grey Captain America shirt and a dark blue check shirt; it was easier to run in and I didn’t have to worry about the grass stains on my knees or the scrapes on my shins and elbows.

At some point late in the night, I found myself on a large out-cropping stone peering over the small lake at the back of the Hale house, lying back and watching the twinkling stars above; I turned my head slightly and smiled at what looked strangely like a wolf. It was beautiful and I raised my hand, reaching it towards the sky as if I could pet it.

“My mom told me you were upset about what happened… don’t worry about it, okay, you only got my stomach; could have been worse, you could have hit my beautiful face,” I could hear the smirk in Derek’s voice and I leaned up on my elbows to see him holding onto a tree loosely, looking up at the stars as I had.

“Yeah… I suppose, that face might come in handy someday,” I smiled at him but it was a useless effort; he wasn’t looking at me. He was never looking at me, not when it mattered.

“Uh huh… I guess I’ll see you later… see ya…” He took one blind look in my direction and then he was gone, running into the woods.

I lay back down and frowned; how could he be so oblivious? It was irritating and infuriating, and his stupidity had me questioning our compatibility; how could one person be so thick-skulled?

As my anger escalated, I heard a strange pitter-patter sound around me and looked around to see the small stones and pebbles on the ground jiggling against the stone I lay on; I took a deep breath to calm myself and the rocks instantly stilled.

At this rate, I’ll be a forty-year-old spinster with eleven cats and a nervous twitch; Derek Hale irritated and infuriated me, but it was almost for this reason that I loved him so fiercely.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!  
> I hope you enjoyed that, because I enjoyed writing it!  
> F.Y.I I just gave up any chance of a good grade in my Hospitality class by uploading this instead of finishing my coursework, so you're reading the work of what could be a future high school drop out ;)  
> Please leave me some kudos if you liked it; the more people like it the more I write!  
> Oh, and the next chapter is just gonna explain what happened throughout high school because I just wanna get along with the Sterek, so we're jumping ahead four years in the next chapter :D


	3. Did That Really Just Happen? o.o

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The time has come!  
> Derek's not as much of a douchebag as he has been, but at the same time he still kind of is!  
> But he's no longer oblivious!  
> YAY!

As the years of Derek’s absence drawled on, he studied creative writing in college with folklore on the side, I breezed through high school with a 4.0 GPA on top of my quickly advancing nymph powers; at the age of sixteen a rogue alpha had stumbled into Hale territory, causing uproar that even brought Derek back from college for a weekend to get rid of the rogue. Scott and I had taken a journey into the deeper depths of the preserve with a bottle of Jack and some rather depressing thoughts; Scott was on another ‘break’ with his boyfriend Isaac, and I was simply missing the presence of my mate. We were both angst-ridden and reeked of self-loathing; it was about three quarters through the bottle that the alpha struck, attacking Scott with its deadly jaws before I came to my wits and crushed the wolf from the inside out. I had never exerted so much power and I was on bed rest for three days before I could walk again.

Scott had taken to the bite and now stood beside Talia proudly as a strong, seventeen year old true alpha and Talia took him under her wing enthusiastically. It was a lot to take in over the four short years of our schooling, but with the end of high school in sight, we were all a little pumped to rush through finals.

Derek’s absence had strained me, because whenever he did come home for holidays or short visits, it hit me full force with emotions and feelings, intensified by the proximity, only to be torn away from me when he left. My training got more and more stressful every year, taking on powers and spells that wore me down to physical illness, but I persisted, finding my feet in the natural world.

I also found solid ground in my own body; I was no longer embarrassed by long limbs and a lanky physique, I now stood tall, proportions still on the thin side to a point where I still managed to look healthy, I had filled out in both my chest and my butt, slender face taking on a more gentle, feminine look, lips becoming an asset I felt proud of. My long hair still hung down to the middle of my back in soft waves, but I still fell to the temptation of throwing it into a messy ponytail or a mess of hair atop my head that passed as a bun.

I loved Derek, with the finest atoms of my being, but he still hadn’t managed to notice me, and that could be for the fact that during my transformation from awkward, childish Stiles to the womanly body I now possessed, I managed to hide away from Derek as much as possible; I avoided him seeing me when I had braces and I _definitely_ avoided him during my ‘gothic’ phase. As I became less beast and more beauty, I could not lie, I had found my fair share of interested gentleman callers, and although I had indulged a scarce few of them with kissing and some minor groping, I couldn’t stand the thought of someone that wasn’t _my_ Derek touching my body in that way; I mainly let them do this to gain some experience, because when the time came that Derek wanted me, I didn’t want to be a terrible lay.

So, as my Saturday began the same way it usually does, with a jog from my house, through the preserve and to the Hale house, I bent down to untie my laces after closing the front door; sticky sweat coated every inch of my body and the black sports-bra/top I wore was beginning to cling in the wrong way while the black shorts just felt uncomfortable all together. There was a heavy niggling feeling in my chest and I sighed, pulling the sneakers off before stretching a little, touching my socked toes with my fingertips.

As I began to stand up, a low, drawn out wolf-whistle echoed through the foyer and I jerked up, whipping my head around, surprised, and my ponytail flicked me in the face as a punishment for the rushed movement.

Derek Hale leaned against the door frame to the living room and a broad smirk showed just the slightest hint of his adorable bunny teeth; with raised eyebrows and fully blown eyes, I realised what the niggling in my chest was. It was Derek, and he had just acknowledged me in a way that had my heart rate doubling and a small pulse of arousal swirled in my abdomen. I had waited so long for this kind of reaction from him, and it felt so amazing that I had to refrain from jumping his bones here and now.

“Derek, manners! How many times do I have to tell you? Oh, ‘morning Stiles, how was your jog?” Talia asked casually and Derek’s expression turned to one of complete astonishment; I smiled at Talia and I could _feel_ the spike in Derek’s demeanour, in an instant he lost the cocky exterior for one of wonderment and awe.

I basked in the feelings that oozed from the beta.

“It was great actually, I saw the most beautiful thing; it was a doe, she was beautiful, and she was nursing her foal. I swear to the gods I thought I was going to die of cuteness! And good morning to you too, I got a text from Theo this morning at half past six saying he’s made a great new tea combo that he thinks I’ll like, so I’m gonna take a quick shower and try it out.” I started for the stairs, pecking Talia’s cheek as we crossed baths and as my foot hit the first step, Derek’s hand wrapped gently around my forearm, tugging me back around to him.

“Stiles? You- you’ve changed… you look amazing…” Derek’s eyes hungrily raked over my body and I bit back a grin, I preened on the inside, seeing the primal desire in his eyes had me yearning to reach out to him. He pulled me forward slowly and I allowed his soft grip on my arm to move up to the nape of my neck as our eyes connected; I could already feel the branches of my tattoos begin to rise and burn on my skin, and the tips of my ears pointed slightly, brown eyes becoming a milky brown, like coffee with a hint of cream.

He leaned down slightly and I bared my neck, allowing him to bury his nose in my skin, breathing deeply as he nuzzled me with the scruff on his cheek. He was scenting me, and I could literally stand here forever while he did so, but I was slightly sore, heavily sweaty and my muscles were beginning to stiffen.

“Derek, let the poor girl shower; she stinks!” Cora giggled as she thundered down the stairs, punching Derek’s shoulder hard enough to send him stumbling back slightly.

“Oh, thanks for the vote of confidence, Cora! Nice to know I’m not allowed to smell after a run; that’s real rich coming from you!” I laughed at her mock glare, but Derek’s rumbling growl had us both turning to him; he was looking at Cora with daggers in his eyes.

“She does not stink! She’s the most beautiful smelling creature in the world…” Derek grumbled, eyes sweeping over to me and I couldn’t resist the grin; I finally had his attention and it had me heating up in all the right places. I know I don’t smell great, dripping with sweat, but I knew that to Derek, I certainly would smell divine; you could even say edible.

“Okie dokie, I’m definitely going for a shower now,” I spun around and jogged up the stairs, feeling a burning pair of eyes on my behind; I smirked and basked in the glory of his gaze.

My shower was short, no time for overthinking, just a simple hair and body cleaning, and I changed in the guest room I always stayed in when I felt like staying at the house; it was usually after the more strenuous training days or on the full moon, but really, I just took every excuse I could to stay in the house that positively hummed with magical energy.

I put on a pair of ripped blue skinny jeans, a massively oversized red jumper and some red sneakers. I towel dried my hair slightly and left it to hang in waves around my shoulders as I jogged down to the kitchen; Theo stood at the stove, over a large, fragrant, brewing pot while Talia sat at the long dining table flicking through the news on her tablet. Cora stood with her head stuck in the fridge, rustling about with sighs of boredom and unheard mumbles, and finally, Derek sat at the breakfast bar, watching me carefully with the slightest hint of a genuine smile on his lips.

“Mmm, Theo, whatever you’re brewing smells to die for! Gimme!” I cried, grinning as he set a steaming mug of the concoction in front of the seat next to Derek; I skipped over to it and sat up in the stool, taking the large stormtrooper helmet shaped mug in my hands, inhaling a greedy whiff of the liquid.

“So…” Derek started, looking at me expectantly as I watched him over the top of my mug.

“So… what?” I asked, smirking; I had waited long enough, I kinda wanted to see him struggle.

“Um… you- I mean we- uh- are we…?” His expression shifted awkwardly and he looked constipated with what he was trying to ask; I took a smug sip of the tea after blowing at it for a few seconds.

“Keep going; you’ll get there soon enough,” Theo snarked from his leaning position against the kitchen counter, smirking evilly at his emotionally constipated son.

“Leave him alone, Theo.” Talia warned her husband, but the playful glint in her eyes as she watched Derek showed just how much she was enjoying his struggle; the whole family were rather frustrated as the years passed and Derek remained oblivious, but now that he was on the brink of figuring our bond out, they wanted him to feel the irritation that I had to endure.

“Mates, Derek, yes, have been for a while now; we were all just waiting for you to catch up,” I sighed, took another sip of tea and turned to watch Laura barrel through the front door wearing a sparkly black dress and what was obviously yesterday’s make up; she clutched her heels and her bag in one hand while the other seemed to hold onto the door knob for support.

“What the actual hell? What is Derek doing here? Derek! What are you doing here? Stiles, thank god! We need to talk! I went on a date with Deputy Parrish last night and _boy_ do I have news for you!” Laura threw her shoes down and stumbled up the stairs, out of my line of view.

I nodded slowly; I set her up on that date knowing the two would get along nicely, although I didn’t think it would go that _quickly_.

“You knew?” Derek looked confused and shocked as his eyebrows wavered between frowning and shooting into his hairline; I reached out with the hand that wasn’t holding my mug and smoothed out the crease in his brow, smiling faintly as he relaxed under my touch.

“Of course I knew, but I couldn’t tell you, you know that; you had to figure it out for yourself,” I dropped my hand to his hand and cautiously twined my fingers through his; his own digits curled around mine instantly and once again, I grinned.

“I… don’t know what to say?”

“How about you start by telling me how college was? You weren’t due back for another few days, right?” I asked, soothing my thumb across the top of his hand. I took this time to evaluate him; he had let his scruff grow out a little and it looked hot beyond belief, leaving images of all the places beard-burn could appear on my body. His shoulders had broadened in those four years, as had the rest of his body and I wasn’t ashamed of the overwhelming need to climb him like a tree, because I knew that it really wouldn’t be long until I was finally able to do so.

“Oh, yeah, I was supposed to come home on Tuesday but I finished my final project early and didn’t feel like hanging around for a couple more pointless parties; I mean, freshmen year was great, the parties ruled, but after my second year they became pointless and boring. I still had to go to ‘em, but missing the last few didn’t seem to matter. Now I’m kinda glad I left early,” He smiled down at our entwined fingers, “My creative writing course was amazing, like, I feel ready to write a novel, and I get the feeling inspiration won’t be hard to come by now, the folklore was interesting actually, I didn’t really expect it to be, but it was; it seemed kinda like we were picking random pages out of Claudia’s beastiary and studying them, you would’a schooled ‘em.” He looked up and I studied the intricate waves of colour in his eyes, sipping automatically at my tea, not really tasting a thing.

“I’m sure your professor was great, but I bet he didn’t believe in the things he was teaching…” I challenged and his lips broke into a blinding smile; I returned it with interest, spikes of electric heat pulsing around our joined fingers.

“No, it was obvious he found the subject interesting, but he wasn’t a believer, thank god… can I just say, I kinda feel like the biggest douchebag in the world right now…” The look in his eyes was apologetic and his eyebrows danced between sadness and frustration in a way that only a Hale could.

“Why?”

“Well, you’ve known we’re mates for, what? Years? And I’ve been the worst mate in the world… why are you being so accepting of me now? I’ve made you wait for so long…” He looked like a lost, hurt child and I sighed, hating the expression and the things it was doing to my heartstrings.

“The truth is exactly what you just said; you’ve made me wait for so long, I don’t think I could physically keep myself away from you now you know. I actually don’t know what to do with myself to be honest; I’ve become so accustomed to you ignoring me… the fact that you’re sitting here beside me… with your hand in mine… it’s a little overwhelming,” I looked down to our hands again, squeezing his to make sure I wasn’t hallucinating; wouldn’t be the first time.

“Well I’m here now; no need to hold back anymore.” His hand tightened in mine and I bit my lip, looking up at him through thick lashes.

“You have no idea how fantastic that sounds, and Laura just passed out, so I’m not obliged to talk to her for a good few hours; how about we go up to your room and talk,” With a curious look from Cora, I added, “ _alone_.”

Derek grinned as I looked down at my now empty mug of tea; I looked up at Theo with my best interpretation of Scott’s puppy eyes. He shook his head, sending a smirk to his son, before refilling my mug.

“Oh, what’s in it? I was a little distracted…” I grinned at Theo expectantly.

“Strawberries, peaches, kiwi, hibiscus, rose hips and jasmine green tea pearls; I wasn’t too sure about this one personally, it smells nice but I’m not very fond. What do you think?” He asked excitedly and I frowned, blowing the rose coloured blend before taking a sip. It really was delicious; the jasmine really gave it something special.

“Are you kidding me? It’s awesome; I’ll take some of that to go… later!” I grinned, taking my mug and Derek’s hand; Talia beamed at us as I dragged him up the stairs, and I knew she was as happy for me as I was relieved. Needless to say, waiting for your mate when you already feel the bond is a son of a bitch.

He pushed through the door to his room and I closed it behind us, taking a large gulp of tea as I grinned up at him. I needed to hide behind the tea, because if I didn’t, I’d be mounting his enticing body before he could even look my way; it was that kind of hunger and need that I both hate and love, because now that I have him, I’m pretty sure he won’t mind me having my wicked way with him.

“You’re nervous; why are you nervous?” I asked, feeling his nerves ripple in the air. I had both enjoyed and despised learning how to feel others’ emotions, because although it helped most of the time, it also made some situations incredibly awkward or uncomfortable; like the time I had been eating dinner with Scott, Isaac and Melissa, and I could feel the arousal practically humming between the two hormonal seventeen year olds.

“You’re just… not what I expected my mate to be, but you’re so much better… more than I deserve; especially after the way I’ve treated you for the past few years. Plus, I’m a little shocked; I mean, you don’t expect to fall head over heels for the girl who tried to impale you with a baseball bat…” He smirked with a glint of mischief in his golden swirled blue eyes; I scoffed and rolled my eyes.

“Did you really have to bring that up? It was an accident and I apologised, you ass, why did it have to be _you_? Ugh… you’re annoying me already, but I love it… fuck my life!” I glared at him playfully, putting my mug on the nightstand, and slumped down on his grey sheeted bed.

I kicked my sneakers off as he joined me on the right side of the bed and propped my head up on my hand; he twined his fingers together and put them behind his head, crossing his legs as he did so. He looked up at me and I returned his gaze, smiling as the energy of our bond pulsed in the air, our separation from the world becoming quite apparent.

I reached my right hand up and placed it gently on his cheek, caressing his sharp cheekbone with my thumb; his warm skin heated under my touch with the blush that tinted the apples of his cheeks and the tips of his ears.

“Can I do something I’ve wanted to do for a long time?” I asked hesitantly and he smirked, nodding; I cupped his jaw and tilted his head up as I leaned down. My heartbeat sped up as I closed my eyes, placing a feather-light kiss on his lips; he responded instantly and pushed up into the kiss, removing his hands from behind his head to place one around the back of my neck, still damp with my slightly wet hair, and the other rested on my waist steadily.

I smiled into the kiss, running my fingers through his soft hair and his tongue flicked out, tickling along my bottom lip; I parted my lips for him and he grinned, sliding his expert tongue into my mouth. Any practice I’ve ever had with any other boy could never have prepared me for the electric tingles that ignited between our bodies; Derek’s talented hands roamed my body, easily lifting me onto his lap, with a leg either side of his thighs.

I leaned back slightly to look into his eyes, which were glowing like molten gold, and I traced his strong cheekbones, flicking my hair to the side where it pooled across the pillow under Derek’s head; I leant down for another hungry, heated kiss, and I felt instinct take over, eyes a pure, milky white, swirling like plumes of smoke, my ears were pointed at the tips, and the vines and branches of my natural tattoos pulsed heavily black against alabaster skin. 

A steady pulse of arousal thrummed through my core as I ground my body into his, tugging his bottom lip between my teeth, my ever so slightly lengthened and curled canines drawing lines of blood before he quickly healed.

“You’re so… beautiful… how did I never realise?” Derek asked with a perplexed look in his eyes; I smiled and pecked his lips a couple times before deciding on an answer.

“You weren’t ready; as a wolf, monogamy is essential, wolves don’t share what’s theirs. You needed to experience other things before I essentially became the only thing you’d ever experience again, plus, one of us needed to know what the hell to do, because I sure as hell have no idea…” I leaned back, sitting completely on his crotch in my kneeling position, and looked down at his belt buckle, fumbling nervously with the hem of his shirt. My hair created a heavy curtain around my blushing face and I worried at my lip; his hand reached up as he leaned up on one elbow, and he gently brushed my hair out of my face, a proud smile on his lips, giving me a clear view of his perfect bunny teeth.

“You waited… for me?”

“Of course I waited for you; I couldn’t stand have someone else touching me, it felt _wrong_ and even Scott didn’t like seeing other boys touching me, so I stopped after I had the basics. I’m yours Derek, only yours, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.” I told him truthfully, because I believed every word I spoke, and I wanted him to know everything; he beamed up at me, hands sliding down to my hips, greedy hands squeezing at my flesh. I rolled my hips as his grip tightened to a bruising hold.

“You have no idea what you’re doing to me… to know that my mate’s saved herself all for me… you’re driving me crazy…” As I felt his arousal through his black jeans, I giggled, blushing again as I braced my hands on his strong chest.

“Pretty sure crazy isn’t the only thing I’m making you,” I rolled my hips again; mouthing at his neck, and I felt his dick twitch against my core, drawing a soft moan from my lips. I gasped, pulling away; I sure as hell had never made a sound like _that_ before, not even when auditioning the finger puppets, if you know what I mean.

With my eyes blown in shock, I looked at Derek wearily; his whole family were in the house, and even with the soundproofed bedrooms – Talia’s big on trust, so she likes everyone to have their personal spaces – they probably heard that, if they couldn’t already smell the arousal that emanated from the room.

“Maybe we should stop…?” I asked him, watching him carefully; with the smirk on his lips, I didn’t know what he was thinking, I just knew that if he kept looking at me with mischief and hunger, I’d be a quivering mess of a girl in front of him.

“For whose sake?”

“Oh, I don’t know, maybe your poor family who probably don’t wanna hear us making out, or maybe for my embarrassment’s sake, because Cora’s got a big mouth and if she tells my dad anything it could get messy, and I’m pretty sure he’s been stocking up on wolfsbane bullets with Chris Argent since the moment he found out _you’re_ my mate.” I traced his jawline, up to his cheekbones, mirroring my actions on either side of his face.

“As terrifying as that sounds, making out with you is pretty damn worth it… but, you’re right and I guess there’s a lot we should actually be talking about right now, huh?” He sat up and I stumbled off his lap clumsily; my whole body felt like Jell-O, so I slumped down on the bed beside him, staring up at the ceiling while he leaned over me slightly, held up by his elbow.

“Like what?” I asked, biting my lip while the tattoos covering my back, chest and arms receded. My ears rounded to their normal shape and my eyes returned to their natural brown colour while the minute curl of my canines shortened.

“Like what we’re going to do? What are we? What are we going to tell people; that kind of thing? I mean, you’re still seventeen for another month, and I’m twenty-two; I’ll be twenty-three in November… I’m almost twenty-three… shit, I’m old, you sure you wanna be with an old man?” Derek smirked, but the uncertainty in his eyes was as clear as daylight; I smiled up at him softly, running a hand through his hair.

“Well, as for what we’re going to do, _you_ are going to take me out on a date next Friday, because that’s what normal people do, and we’re normal, secondly, we are mates, there’s no need to put any other labels on it until we both feel comfortable to do so. If people ask; we’re going on a date with the definite possibility of more to follow, therefore we tell people we’re dating until, as I said before, we feel comfortable with saying any different. And in account of your last question, all I have to say is age is just a number, baby!” I grinned, poking his nose lightly, and jumped off the bed, skipping over to the large bookcase on the far wall of his room; I flicked through his CD selection, absentmindedly picking out a blank mix tape. I turned on the CD player/docking station on the desk beside the bookshelf and slid the CD into the slot, pressing play excitedly; I needed to know what kind of mix tapes my mate makes.

“No _freakin_ ’ way! I love Kygo remixes! Dude, we were _so_ meant for each other! I can’t wait to tell Scotty; he _hates_ these remixes and whines like a little bitch when I put ‘em on but now the little pansy can suck it! What’s your favourite one?” I asked as ‘Cut Your Teeth’ began playing, giddily throwing myself back onto the bed stomach down, after turning the volume up dangerously high; I grabbed his hand and played with his fingers, grinning up at him.

“Uhm... probably ‘Shine’ or ‘Sexual Healing’, both are amazing, hell; they all are. It’s actually hard to pick a favourite; one of my exes actually introduced me to Kygo.” He said thoughtfully, threading his fingers through mine; he held our joined hands up into the morning sun that streamed through the window.

“Oh, plural, huh?” I asked absentmindedly, watching the sun dance across our skin.

“Yeah, but I’m sure you don’t wanna hear about them…”

“No, I definitely wanna know what I’m gonna be compared to. In a totally non-jealous, non-weird-stalker-girlfriend kind of way…” I tried to hide my insecurity, but I knew he could feel and read my emotions like an open book; his softened, concerned face said it all.

“Stiles, I know for a fact that I could never compare you to any of those girls. I know there’s a lot I still need to learn about you, but I know that we have the rest of our lives to get to know each other. Though, if you really wanna know, I only had three real serious relationships in college; the rest were one night stands or flings…” He held my face in his hands, forcing me to look and see the truth in his eyes.

“I don’t know whether that makes me feel better or worse, but please do tell me.” I smiled; it was all I could do but try to not think about other women – older, more mature women – throwing themselves at Derek, or touching him… or sharing a bed with him. The thought made me want to throw up, but my natural curiosity made me power through that feeling.

“Well, my freshman year there was Paige; she played cello in the band and she was a music major. Paige was nice, but she was… she was just wrong for me; we broke up after spring break freshman year due to the bombshell that was Kate. Basically, I have no excuse for what I did; Paige went back home for spring break and I went to Lake Tahoe with a group of friends, we rented a huge ass cabin in the woods – it was beautiful, you would’a loved it – but that group of friends just so happened to include Kate, who was a friend of a friend really.” The look on Derek’s face told me that he really seemed to regret what he was about to say, but I held my poker face intact to encourage him.

“We spent the whole break shitfaced, Paige wasn’t there… but Kate was, and she knew I was with Paige; I fucking know she did, but we had a lot of sex,” His look became distant and the delicate curl in his lips almost seemed to hold disgust, “Needless to say, Paige found out from Facebook pictures of Kate and I all over each other; Kate was a senior, so I was bathing in the glory of getting an older woman. The moment we got back to college Paige shoved a box of my shit at me with this scary, neutral look on her face and told me to get anything I had of hers back to her as soon as possible. Kate wasted no time in turning friends with benefits into dating, seeing as she wouldn’t be in college much longer; we were together until Halloween of that same year when I found out she was a hunter and she found out she’d been sleeping with a werewolf. I was lucky she ran and didn’t pop a wolfsbane bullet in my ass.” Derek shivered with the memory and I smiled, shaking my head; the chances of that happening were pretty slim, but trust Derek to be the one for that to happen to.

“Anyway, about a month or so later, you probably remember this, I drove home with a wolfsbane bullet wedged into my left arm and your mom wrenched out the bullet and fixed me up in no time; yeah, turns out that was Kate, and my uncle Peter went on a rampage looking for her, only to find out she’d been shunned by all hunters for going against the code and  she got arrested for a whole bunch of werewolf deaths that obviously just looked like human deaths. There were enough bodies that she got life in solitary. Do you really need me to continue? I mean, can’t you see that there’s nothing to compare to?” He looked down at me hopefully and I grinned, shaking my head awkwardly.

“No, it’s interesting, keep going; I’m glad Kate got what she deserved, and yeah, I do remember that. You came to our house at three in the morning; my mom made me watch what she was doing because it was a good example of the stuff I was going to be learning… you looked so hot my nerdy little fourteen-year-old self could barely keep her Batman panties on, watching her shirtless nineteen-year-old mate beg my mom to cut your arm off,” I giggled as he fluidly lifted me into the air, then slammed me back down onto the bed, flat on my back, while he positioned himself on top of me.

“Please do tell me more about your Batman panties and how hot you think I am…” He purred, burying his nose in my neck, rough stubble scratching soothingly across my shoulder.

“Oh no you don’t, mister; who’s the third girl? Stop trying to change the subject!” I smacked his chest lightly and he leaned back on his knees, still holding me down as he sat on my thighs.

“Ugh, fine; lastly, there was Jenifer in my junior year… she was my creative writing teacher but she was only a few years older than me, but at this point I was almost twenty-one and I thought I was so old and mature. Things with Scott had just settled down, so I figured, ‘time to get my game back’ and in walked the new teacher, all flirty looks and awkward personality. Our ‘affair’ lasted a solid five months into my junior year before someone got a picture of us making out outside a restaurant; they sent it in to the board of governors and within a couple weeks Jenifer lost her job and they tried to force me to go to a therapist, but I said ‘fuck that’ and went on with my life. At that point I kinda realised that I’d have to start actually paying attention in class, so I focussed on my studies, like the boring old shit that I am, lost a lot of ‘friends’ towards the end of junior year and by the time senior year came around, the only social thing I really did was basketball. There it is, laid on the line, happy now?” He tried to sound put out, but the small smile on his face told me otherwise; I bit my lip and grinned up at him, nodding excitedly.

“I’m just amazed you’re talking to me, and trusting me by opening up is really helping me forgive you for being a big ol’ bag of dicks these past few years,” I laughed, poking his nose again before curling my fingers into the front of his Henley; I yanked him down and kissed him simply because I could.

We spent the next few hours just talking – and making out, _a lot_ – about anything and everything; I learnt his favourite colour is blue, and told him that mine is orange, he told me some of his ideas for what he could do now that college is over, and I told him how utterly clueless I am about what to do when school finishes.

I talked his ears off until Laura came thundering into the room, witnessing Derek’s hand up my sweater with his tongue down my throat, and she just smirked, yanking me out from under Derek’s solid weight. She dragged me away as I cooed at the kicked puppy look on his face and pulled me into her own room, where she proceeded to tell me every single detail of her date with Deputy Parrish; from the cologne he wore to the ‘explosive’ orgasm he gave her. I didn’t necessarily _want_ to know the things she told me, not in the slightest, but I knew that with my relationship with Derek now starting, I would have to know how to do the… things.

I got into my jeep reluctantly when dinner came around, knowing my mom would start calling and texting me if I was late; I drove home in a rush, parking haphazardly and kicking my sneakers off the moment I stepped foot in the house.

“Hurry and wash up honey, dinner’s ready!” My mom called from the kitchen, and I ran up to wash my hands; my mom was super serious about hygiene.

The moment I sat down at the table, where my dad sat at the head and my mom sat to his right, placing me at his left, they looked at me expectantly, and I instantly knew that they knew about the recent developments with Derek.

“So… um… potato salad looks great, mom” I began, dishing out a large portion of the potato salad onto my plate, then moving to what looked like chicken Kiev’s; I could feel their gazes on me, and I tried to stay neutral, but I curled in on myself, buckling under the combined efforts of their questioning eyes.

“Derek figured it out today…” I looked up, shovelling a forkful of potato and chicken into my mouth to take away my ability to talk.

“Yeah, Talia called, squealing like a little school girl! She told me you two were up in his room for hours! I’ve waited so long for this! You must be so-” My mom’s rant was cut of by the furious look on my dad’s face.

“My seventeen year old daughter spent _hours_ in a twenty two year old man’s bedroom… unsupervised? Stiles- I- that’s not acceptable.” He looked like he was going to have a heart attack, so I took his hand and squeezed it tightly.

“Dad, literally _nothing_ happened; we talked, okay? _I_ kissed _him_ ,” with the flash of anger that went across his face, I stumbled for the first, easiest lie I could muster, “but he stopped me; he said we should take it slowly and I agreed. Please, dad, stop looking at me like that; Derek’s not the same as he was… I promise,” I smiled as reassuringly as possible; he returned my squeeze and lifted my hand to his lips, smiling softly, not really looking like the Sheriff the town knew. He just looked like me dad.

“Okay, sweetheart, I trust you, but I swear to all things holy, the moment he steps one foot out of line, you just tell me and I’ll tear him a new one. Oh, and don’t think that just because you two are mates means I won’t be having a _very_ stern talk with him.” And the Sheriff’s back.

“Oh, John, leave your daughter alone; she’s a hell of a lot smarter than we were at her age and you know it! But this is amazing, honey! How about we go shopping tomorrow? You can skip school I’m sure! We can get rid of all those horrible check shirts and get you some nice, girly things to wear?” She rushed, but I dropped my fork, holding a hand up to pause her giddy rambling.

“No, mom, I’m perfectly happy with the contents of my wardrobe, and if Derek has anything to say about what I wear then he can suck it.” I picked up my fork and continued to chew stubbornly.

“I’m sorry honey… I just thought…” My mom trailed off, sounding dejected and hurt; I looked up at her and cursed myself. She looked exactly how she sounded and my dad looked at me as if to say ‘fix it, now’.

I sighed and put my knife and fork down, “Mom, it’s okay; I know you’re just really excited and I understand, I do, but I just don’t want to change who I am for a guy. Even if that guy is Derek Hale. Plus, you know Scotty wouldn’t shut up about if I suddenly started wearing skirts and dresses, then I’d have to kill him; it’s inevitable.” I grinned, watching her instantly perk up, laughing at the honesty in my voice.

“Well I can’t fault you there. Oh, do tell me everything; what did you talk about today? I want to know _everything_ …” She glanced down at her phone and I frowned, “Talia just text me! She said Derek hasn’t said a word over dinner, but she wants to know _everything_ , dammit, beautiful daughter of mine, you simply must tell me!”

“We talked about a lot of stuff, mom, like… uh… we talked a lot about his time in college, uh, we talked about small things,” the voice in the back of my head that sounded dangerously like Scott said ‘I wonder if Derek is one of those things’, “like music and food… I showed him some of the smaller spells I can do; we just… talked? I don’t know, really, it was just nice to talk to him after so long of putting up with the cold shoulder. I feel a lot better now, happier I guess…” I looked down at my dinner, eating slowly.

“That’s great; we’re happy for you,” My mom smiled over at me, and dinner passed quickly like that, with general small talk passed around the table.

After dinner, I spent half an hour talking to Scott on the phone, then remembered the stupid homework I didn’t do on Friday when I normally would, so I finished it and went to sleep; exhaustion was apparently a thing, and I had it pretty bad.

But the lightness that settled upon me as I lay in my bed told me everything I needed to know about this day; I knew it was the start of something beautiful and new and I couldn’t wait ‘til tomorrow to tell my friends. I could also feel the tug of our now solidified bond; I wanted – needed – to see him again soon, or it would drive me insane.  
My love just became a hell of a lot stronger.

And so did his.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!  
> Hope you enjoyed that long ass chapter!  
> That could be one of my longest chapter so far!   
> MWAHHAHAHA!  
> All kudos and comments are immensely appreciated!!!  
> <3 <3 <3


	4. She's My Favourite Girl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All of that typical dating stuff, throw in some not-so-typical wolf related problems and there you have it.  
> Look, I suck and descriptions, sue me!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long, but I've been told it's worth it ;)

It had already been a day since I last saw her, a day since I truly met Stiles, what seemed like a whole twenty-four hours since I last looked at her mole speckled skin and felt her long fingers between my own, and that niggling reminder of her distance that had settled behind my breastbone after she left yesterday had grown to be quite annoying; the wolf in my whined and scratched at the barriers I held it in with a needy desperation, so I had no other choice than to text her .

**_To Stiles:_ you doing anything?**

I didn’t know what kind of texter Stiles was so I didn’t know when to expect a message back, but an immediate response was not what I was expecting.

**_From Stiles:_ sup! Define your concept of ‘doing anything’ because I’m in school right now, but that can easily be fixed. I’m stuck in gym with Finstock and Erica’s kicking everyone’s asses on the climbing wall, she’s a BAMF but no biggie. Watchya doin?**

I hadn’t really had the chance to get to know our newest pack members yet, but what I had seen of them over the past two years, they seemed nice enough. Erica had been overbearingly flirty, and now that I think about it, I remember how she abruptly stopped with one stern look from the pack and a dejected looking Stiles, because I had admittedly indulged the blonde teen by flirting back playfully. Boy, don’t I just feel like a dick now. Boyd on the other hand seemed like my kind of guy; quiet, but full of good opinions, logic, and a dark sense of humour. Then, there’s Isaac, a kid I found to be worryingly skittish for a werewolf; my mom had explained that his dad was the three Betas’ Alpha, and he wasn’t exactly a good one at that. Isaac was left with scars that healed slowly and agonisingly after the Alpha abused his only son.

It had been uncle Peter who took me aside when I came back from college for the summer, that hunters had ambushed Isaac, Erica and Boyd’s pack during a pack meeting and the three sixteen year olds had been the old survivors – barely – and had crossed over into Hale territory before the hunters could follow them. My mom had found them straight away and took them in like her own; they now live with my family, in my childhood home, and yet I still hadn’t really gotten to know them.

**_To Stiles:_ just sat at my computer looking for a job but I can’t stop thinking about you, is that weird?**

**_From Stiles:_ I’ve been thinkin about you for years**

**_From Stiles:_ still am**

**_From Stiles:_ drop by my place after school. You remember when that is, right, old man?**

**_To Stiles:_ You’ll pay for that one, kid**

**_To Stiles:_ x**

I didn’t know – or care – if the kiss was too much; but we’ve already shared physical kisses, so how much harm could a cyber-kiss do?

Her reply froze me between the overwhelming need to laugh and a ripple of arousal; she had replied with a ridiculous looking selfie. She made a scrunched up kissy face with her eyes closed tightly, her hair was piled up on her head like the top of a pineapple and she held the phone with both hands; behind her in the picture, I saw Scott with Isaac draped around his back, resting his chin on top of Scott’s head, Cora and Erica were a blur on the climbing wall that I remember all too well, while Boyd stood talking to a short red-head who was braiding the long dark locks of a doe-eyed girl who sat on the floor in front of her. A scowly-looking douchebag stood beside Stiles, looking appalled by something; I instantly disliked him, but the caption that came along with the picture read ‘Jackson got his panties in a twist ‘cause I’m awesome and I put a truth-telling spell on him. P.S. he just told me he had a crush on my in middle school; never gonna let the little bitch forget this!’

I grinned, instantly saving the picture to my phone before I slipped the phone back into my pocket, not trusting myself to not do something embarrassing, like send a selfie back.

I looked at the clock in the bottom corner of my computer screen, frowning as I read the time. I had at least another hour and a half before school let out, so I had to find something to do. I drummed my fingers across the keyboard, searching for inspiration; I sighed, picking my basketball off the floor absentmindedly. I tossed it in the air and caught it when it fell back down, repeating the action.

“Four years of learning how to write stories and now I can’t write jack-shit…” I grumbled, glaring at the blinking line on the word document that my screen showed me.

“Dollar in the swear jar!” My mom called from somewhere in the house and I spun around, glaring at the slightly ajar door; if the doors aren’t closed the soundproofing doesn’t work.

“But, mom, I’m a fully grown man!” I yelled, already digging around in my desk drawer for a stray dollar.

“A fully grown man who still lives with his parents; live under my roof, you obey my rules, young man! Hurry up and get your own god damn place!” She screamed back at me, though I would have heard her if she had just said it.

“Dollar in the swear jar for taking the lord’s name in vain!” I grinned.

“Boy, we aren’t Christians!”

I rolled my eyes, clutching a dollar, and made my way downstairs, spinning the basketball on my fingers; I walked into the living room and looked at the china cabinet where five swear jars sat in a row, bearing each of our names’ in my mom’s handwriting. I pulled the glass door open and stuffed the dollar in my jar; I grinned as I saw the overfilling jar with Cora’s name on it, Laura’s wasn’t as bad as mine or Cora’s, but her jar was still half full. My mom’s held all of three dollars and my dad’s had at least twenty-five crumpled up one dollar bills; he scrunched them up so it didn’t look as bad as the rest of us, but when mom was gone, we all swore like sailors.

“Mom?” I asked, following her heartbeat to the back yard, where she was hanging laundry while the radio on the porch played something similar to Kate Bush; my dad was attending to his gardens, inspecting something with large white and orange flowers.

“Yes, sweetie?” She didn’t look away from the laundry, so I took a seat on one of the lawn chairs lying around.

“I have no idea what to write about? I mean, statistically it’s not that hard; I learned _everything_ there is to learn about writing a story, yet I can’t a damn title or an idea or… _anything_ … _why?_ ” I glared at the basketball in my hands and on a branch of anger, threw it into the trees, listening to it bounce and crack against things.

“Honey, nobody comes home from college and starts at the top; you’ve gotta lower your expectations of yourself, start small. Why don’t you try a blog or something along those lines and write small things, like, um… snippets of stories that just come to your mind. Then if you get a good idea from one of them, you can take it from there; it’ll also help your writing.” My mom sat beside me on the chair.

“I guess… I just had so many visions that I’d get out of college and write a novel and _boom_ ; instant success… mom, this sucks; I- I wanna show Stiles that she didn’t wait for nothing… that I was worth waiting for. And I’ve gotta make it up to her somehow… but how?” She took my hand and soothed her thumb across my hand, eyes searching my own.

“So that’s what this is about? Stiles? Don’t you understand that you being with her now is exactly what she wants, and she doesn’t _need_ anything else? I mean, sure, in the future she’s going to need more from you, but she still has college and so much more; I suggest maybe getting a job? In fact, I have a perfect idea; I’ll call down to the principal at the high school and I’ll talk to her about classes. You could put your degree to use and teach creative writing classes? How does that sound?” She looked hopefully down at me and I smiled, nodding.

“That sounds great; but, mom, I didn’t do a teaching degree?” I frowned, biting my lip.

“And you don’t have to have a teaching degree if it’s after school classes; you’re fully qualified in your field, or at least, you will be when you get your results, right?”

“Yeah, my professor said she’d email me when she had everything sorted out, but it probably won’t take much longer; she’s crazy fast at marking. Listen, mom, thank you _so_ much, like, you have no idea; I’m gonna go to the store before I head over to Stiles’, you want anything?” I grinned, heaving myself off the lawn chair; I pulled my mom up into a tight bear hug.

“Can you bring back some cupcakes from that bakery on Main Street? Laura was in a bad mood when she left for work today, so she probably won’t be any better when she gets back. Are you staying at Stiles’ for dinner or should I make enough for you?” She asked as I walked back through the house.

“I don’t know; I’ll ask her when I get there.” I mumbled, shoving my wallet and phone into my pockets when I ducked into my room; I sighed, knowing I’d probably be early.

***

Within five minutes of leaving the grocery store with a still-warm cherry pie nestled sweetly on the passenger seat of my Camaro, I was on the drive to Stiles’ house after confirming with Cora that Stiles had headed straight home after school.

I couldn’t resist the smile that touched my lips as her house came into sight; her ugly blue jeep sat in the driveway, along with a dark Toyota and the Sheriff’s cruiser. This would be my first time seeing Claudia and the Sheriff since realising Stiles and I are mates; the thought kind of made my hands become clammy, while a cold sweat tickled the back of my neck.

The afternoon sun beat down on my back as I walked up the drive, carrying the cherry pie, and I heard four heartbeats in the house, tilting my head curiously at the extra heartbeat that thrummed slightly faster than the other three; I knocked on the door, regardless, and Claudia pulled it open before I had even finished knocking.

“Derek, darling, come right on in! Gosh, you look great; did you change something?” Claudia grinned, pulling me into a strong, warm hug, much like the ones I craved Stiles to smother me in, much like she had yesterday; Claudia’s power emanated from her core and settled my wolf, erasing any nerves I may have had.

“I didn’t know whether to bring something, so I thought ‘can’t go wrong with pie’ so I bought a pie; it’s cherry, by the way.” I handed her the pie gingery and she grinned, placing a small kiss on my cheek as she carried it through with her.

“Thank you, Derek, that’s very thoughtful of you; come in and take a seat.”

“College changes people, hun. So, Derek, our daughter tells us you’ve finally pulled your head outta your ass?” John asked as Claudia pulled me into the kitchen and put the pie in the refrigerator, while Stiles stood at the counter, chopping up an array of colourful fruits; her hips swayed obliviously and I noticed the earphones in her ears, and the wire that lead to her jeans pocket.

“I guess you could say that, sir; I’m not the stupid dick I was when I left for college, trust me. Finding your mate… is it supposed to be this _relaxing_? Or is that a nymph thing?” I asked him, sitting down opposite the father of my mate at the round dining table.

A low growl alerted me to the fourth heartbeat in the house, as the wolf Laura got Stiles sauntered into the room – he was a hell of a lot bigger now, with his head at Stiles’ hip level – through the wide open back door; his hackles rose and he scowled at me with sharp, bared teeth.

I slowly raised my hands, palms facing out towards the wolf, showing him that I meant no harm, but this only aggravated him further; he growled something between a snarl and a bark, spraying saliva across the kitchen floor as he circled around Stiles’ legs, his angry blue eyes never leaving mine.

It was at this point that Stiles decided to acknowledge the world, taking her earphones out and she shoved them in her pocket; she spun to face my direction, but her axe was locked on the defensive wolf, giving him a stern look. “Calm your wolf titties, Anakin! I will not have you growling at anybody, or I swear to all things supernatural, there will be no more bedtime cuddles!” Stiles barked at him, and although his gaze on me remained extremely wary and unsure, he lay his large body down beside Stiles’ feet and rested his dark head on his paws.

I flashed my eyes, like liquid gold and Anakin’s head lifted, tongue lolling out of his mouth with his head tilted to the right in what I could only interpret as curiosity. “That’s right, boy, I’m pack; c’mere” I held my hand out to him and he trotted over slowly, holding his head low in caution, hackles still risen. He sniffed my hand, and then pressed his head into it suggestively; I smiled and scratched him behind his fluffy ear.

“He has never reacted to anyone like that before; jeez, don’t be such a sourwolf, Anie!” Sties frowned at the now grinning wolf, then popped a cube of mango in her mouth and shrugged, going back to the insanely large fruit salad she had been making, only to spin back around again with a determined look.

“Oh, Scotty asked me to ask you if it’s okay if he comes over for dinner, ‘cause Melissa and Peter have a date and she told Scott to be out of the house tonight. I don’t wanna repeat the exact words that he said because I’m pretty sure you underestimate the male teen’s train of thought, plus Peter is Derek’s uncle so I really can’t go there; anyway, we all know what’s a’happenin’ in the McCall house tonight, so I’ll just text him and tell him you said it’s okay, okay?” Stiles grinned with mischief in her eyes, and I bit my lip to contain the predatory growl that threatened to leave my lips as I watched her molten honey eyes twinkle suggestively.

“Stiles, I was in fact a male teenager once upon a time, not so damn well long ago either, young lady! And your mother’s younger than me; I’m more worried about what’s going through your mind. You’re supposed to be my innocent little girl; please don’t ruin that image.” John leaned back in his chair while Stiles’ cheeks and neck turned beet red; she still rolled her eyes though.

My eyes wandered across her body, subconsciously making sure she was as perfect as she was when she left my house yesterday, whilst also appreciating the way her tight skinny jeans hugged her lean, toned legs and her Batman shirt stretched across her breasts teasingly. I knew I shouldn’t think of her like this yet, for the law’s sake, but my mind wandered ceaselessly, and without shame. Her bare toes were painted a teal blue colour that shone green and purple in the sun streaming through the kitchen window as she moved; the black flip-flops she wore had some kind of comic book pattern of them and seemed a size or two too big.

“Derek, you asked if it’s a nymph thing or a mate thing for Ly to have a relaxing effect on you; it’s a mate thing, but it’s also the fact that in a few years, she’ll be the Hale pack’s nymph. It’s a combination of both that I’ve never encountered before, because I’ve honestly never seen a wolf and a nymph mate each other. It’s extremely rare and special; with the traditions of both nymph and wolf, your future together should… interesting to say the least.” Claudia talked animatedly, gushing over the thoughts she way voicing.

“Interesting in what way?” Stiles asked as took the large Tupperware box of fruit in one hand and ate with the other; she walked across the stretch of the kitchen and flung her body gracelessly onto my lap, where my arms instinctively wrapped around her waist. I buried my nose in the crook of her shoulder, inhaling deeply and she giggled as, I assume, my stubble tickled her collarbone.

“Well, think about it; the Nymphai mating ritual is an extremely intimate and private thing to be shared between the both of you, whereas the werewolf mating ritual is a pack ceremony where the public claim is made. But there’s plenty of time to think about all that jazz! Tell me, Derek, you are staying for dinner, correct?” Claudia asked as she rummaged around the pantry.

“Uh, sure; that sounds great,” I smiled, looking up at Stiles as she put down the Tupperware box and sucked the sweet fruit juices from the tips of her fingers; her hands framed my face, long and elegant, and I hummed, almost crossing the border of purring.

“Find a job yet?” She asked, carding her slender fingers through my hair, scratching her nails across my scalp as she did so; my eyes lulled, watching her with a smile.

“Stiles… finding a job is so much harder than adults make it out to be; it’s like first I tried writing something but _nothing_ happened there, so then I looked at the job ads on the newspaper website and there was jack squat there. Then I talked to my mom and she said she’s gonna talk to the principal at the high school and see if I could teach some after school classes in creative writing, so that’s actually pretty cool.” She grinned and threw her arms around my neck, pressing a small kiss to my neck before pulling back again.

“Dude, that’s awesome; you know if you do get to teach at the school I’m so gonna become that annoying class clown that you love to hate. A bit like Harris, really; that man loves me, I know he does. It’s inevitable really; with all this charm and sarcasm, I’m simply irresistible!” She sang, arms flailing enough to make me lean back cautiously.

“Weren’t you supposed to text Scott?” I asked her, smirking when her cheeks flushed and she pulled her phone from her pocket. I glanced over her shoulder as she sent her message to Scott and put the phone on the table.

**_To Scott:_ ‘rents say it’s okay, but bring your Xbox controller; big bad wolf is here :)**

I raised my eyebrows at her, unable to keep the smirk off my face, and she bit her lip, stuffing a stray hair behind her ear. “What? Don’t judge me!”

“Big bad wolf? Really? He’s the true alpha and you call _me_ the big bad wolf?” I asked her incredulously.

“Yeah, well, I called you that long before Scott became the true alpha, but there’s nothing _big_ , nor _bad_ about Scott McCall; the guy’s a freakin’ puppy. Plus, when I started calling you things like that, I was younger, okay, and pretty immature? I don’t know, it’s a thing I do; get used to it!” She grinned triumphantly, but the blush on her neck told me everything I needed to know.

“I am _not_ a freakin’ puppy; you take that back!” Scott’s voice came from the back door, his lopsided grin faded when his gaze zoned in on my hands that were securely wrapped around Stiles’ waist; he eyes took on a harsh glint and I could feel the mixed emotions practically oozing out of him. He jumped from shock to anger, worry to caution, and right back to anger that seemed so foreign on a person like Scott; needless to say, the beta in me cowered knowing his anger was probably directed at me. However, I didn’t let my wolf show his fear to the true alpha; my chest puffed out a little and I raised my head high, showing him I wouldn’t back down.

“You’re back a day… and you already have your hands all over her; you have no right, after what you put her through! Stiles, how could you let him act like he hasn’t been a massive prick for the past few years?” Scott’s eyes blazed red and Stiles’ arms tightened around my neck while the need to protect flowed from her; it was visible in the flare of anger in her eyes.

“Now, Scott, you know first-hand that I, in no way, shape or form, blame Derek for the time I waited, and to be honest, I’d really like to get past that whole thing; _you_ have no right to say that to Derek, so I’d really like it if you’d calm down and stop pointing fingers, playing the blame game. Did you bring your controller?” Stiles perked up instantly, subconsciously stroking the back of my neck while I fought the urge to take her up to her room and let her have her way with me; her command had instantly worked on Scott, so I longed for her to use such dominance over me, just in a less angry situation.

***

After a while, Claudia decided it was time to make dinner, and she settled on making klopsiki – Stiles clarified that it was the Polish version of meatloaf but served with some kind of tomato sauce – Claudia used Stiles and Scott as her assistants, barking orders and complaints when they didn’t do as she told them to; I offered to help but Claudia was adamant that I take a beer and sit in the living room with John Stilinski, the Sheriff, the father of my mate. A man who owns a gun and knows how to use it.

While he chose to sit in the large recliner furthest from the door, sipping on a beer, watching a football game, I opted for the furthest side of the couch, ready to run if he pulled out the gun I could smell in the china cabinet next to his recliner; the pungent smell of wolfsbane and gunpowder also came from the same place.

“So Derek, I’ve known you most of your life, and I know that you’re a good man, but I’ve also seen you at your worst; now, I’m just fine with you being with my daughter, because I know what it means to the both of you, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen her like this. She’s calmer, from what I’ve seen, she really likes you, so I need to just stress the importance of you treating her the way she deserves to be treating, you know what I’m saying, son?” John looked over at me casually, but the grave look etched into his features had me nodding seriously.

“Yes, sir, I swear; I know that I could never intentionally hurt her, and if I somehow did, I’d be the one _asking_ you to tie me down with mountain ash and put a wolfsbane bullet in my brain. I’m not just painting a pretty picture; I respect your daughter and I’m gonna treat her with all the time, love and patience I have in me.”

“That’s good, I’m glad, but always remember; no matter how much I like you and your family, I will _never_ hesitate to put a bullet in your melon if you hurt my daughter in any way. Besides that, welcome to the family.” John’s neutral smile appeared on his face again and I relaxed, running my fingers through Anakin’s soft fur as he jumped up onto the sofa beside me, taking up the rest of the space on the three seat-sofa.

Anakin was the tamest wolf I had ever met and he smelled amazing; the main scent I got from him was Stiles’ natural aroma, mixed with what I had come to associate with house dogs, it was a bit like grass and fabric softener.

“Hey!” Stiles sang as she ran into the room, quickly followed by Scott, who tackled her to the ground and pinned her arms above her head with one hand, and tickled her with the other. I frowned, listening to my wolf whine at the contact between the two best friends, but I held back the growl that threatened to escape; that would be embarrassing.

“Get off me- you- _ah_ , you big- fat- _ow_! Stop! Sco-otty… _no_ \- why? Sorry- sorry, Scotty, I said I’m sorry!” It was only with Stiles’ apology that I looked to see the slimy yellow from the yolk of an egg smeared in Scott’s hair and down his shirt.

“No; I have no mercy! I was gonna go see Isaac later but now I’ll have to go home and shower first and do you really wanna think about what I could walk in on! Wouldn’t be the first time seeing Peter’s ass, but I still don’t want to see it ever again! It was your fault last time too, you little shit!” Scott’s tickling increased and I tried not to laugh; it was no lie that my uncle was a bit of an exhibitionist and enjoyed other people seeing him naked – my sisters and I had learned that the hard way – but Melissa seemed to be a little more modest.

“Scotty, please, just take a shower here! I’ll give you one of my shirts!” Sties cried, tears running down her face as Scott showed her no mercy.

“Your shirts would never fit me; you’re tiny!”

“Ugh, bullshit; you know for a fact that some of the shirts I own actually belong to you, plus I’m not tiny and you aren’t so _huge_ yourself!” Stiles struggled to get out of his grip, but I could see her patience wearing thin; she could barely breathe at this point. “Come on man- let _up_! You’re starting to h-hurt me- _dude_!” She had had enough and I could see it in her eyes.

Scott’s body sprang away from her and he landed out the living room door, across the hallway where a furious looking Claudia helped him to his feet; I looked back over at Stiles and while her fingers still danced with what looked like elegant streaks of lightning, bolting across her skin, she looked down at her shoes, standing up with a guilty look on her face.

“Lysianassa Danika Stilinski! What have I told you about using your magic against others? You could have severely hurt Scott and you know it! And John, why on earth didn’t you think to step in before it got too out of hand?” It was rare to see Claudia this furious, and it scared me a little every time it happened. Stiles seemed to feel the same way because she cowered under her mother’s scowl and John frowned, staring intently at the beer bottle in his hand.

“I’m sorry mom, and I’m so sorry Scotty; I lost my temper… please- I…” The lost tone in her voice had my brow creasing again and I moved to get up and comfort her, but Claudia’s hand clamped down on my shoulder and the anger that manifested under her palm sent a shiver down my spine.

“Derek, honey, she has two legs and a mind of her own; you can’t just hand her everything she wants,” Claudia’s voice was cold and firm, but I somehow understood what she meant; didn’t make it any easier to obey her and not go over to Stiles.

“I-I’m really sorry…” Stiles finally looked up, her gaze drifted between Claudia, John, and Scott, but as it rested on me, her face flushed beetroot red and her expression fell into one of horror and I could smell her embarrassment. She looked back down at her shoes and her lean frame sprinted from the room; I stood up, pushing past Scott and Claudia, to follow her up the stairs.

She slammed her bedroom door and a gust of her scent engulfed me, tinged with the pungent smell of embarrassment, anger and worst of all, tears; I knocked on the door and pushed it open slowly, closing it behind me whilst listening to the sobs wracking through her chest. She lay face down on the bed with her face in her hands and my heart broke at the sight.

“Stiles… Stiles what are you crying about?” I asked, moving closer slowly, I sat down on the bed beside her; placing a hesitant hand on her shoulder, I turned her over and pulled her hands away from her face. Her face was blotchy and red, highlighting the whiskey brown pools of her eyes and the moles that speckled across her cheeks.

“I just… I can’t believe I lost control like that, I mean, the one thing my mom and your mom are always stressing is control; I _can’t_ lose control with one of you… I could kill someone if I’m not careful. I’m not a killer… I’d never- I couldn’t… you know I still think about the alpha that turned Scott; I didn’t mean to kill him and I haven’t touched alcohol since then… I can’t lose control…” She sobbed and I pulled her into my chest on impulse; I shuffled up to the head of the bed and she crawled onto my lap, long, lean arms and legs curling up against my body.

“You’re not a killer; any one of us would have done the same thing, or at least something to the same effect. Stiles, we all lose control sometimes; it’s inevitable. I understand it’s dangerous for you but you’re only seventeen; everybody gets to fuck up when they’re seventeen… I’m a poster boy for teenage mistakes. Just try not to be so hard on yourself, okay? If you ask me, Scott totally deserved whatever it was that you laid on him down there.” This made her chuckle, and she reluctantly uncurled from her position on my lap, throwing her arms around my neck. I wiped the tears from her cheeks and tightened my arms around her.

We lay like that, with her sprawled out on top of me, chin resting on my chest, for about ten minutes before Claudia shouted up the stairs to inform us that dinner was ready. When we got down to the dining room John sat at the head of the table with Claudia sat to his right and Scott sat next to her; the two seats on John’s left were set with a plate of sliced meatloaf each. Stiles sat to John’s left and I sat down beside her, smiling across at Claudia and Scott before looking over to John; he eyed me with a knowing kind of smirk on his face.

“So, to make this less awkward; Derek, I’m sorry for flying off the handle earlier and Stiles, jeez, I know I should have stopped tickling you.I just forget sometimes. Now, that’s all done, no hard feelings, let’s eat!” Scott grinned, looking between us hopefully and I looked at Stiles, who wore an extremely relieved expression; she held out a fist to Scott and he pounded it with his own.

“Dude, I could not have put it better myself.” Stiles was the first to dig into her food and I watched her in shock as she horsed the mashed potatoes into her mouth; she was relentless with her food and the wolf in me preened, unable to ignore the promise in a healthy-eating mate.

I had to admit, Claudia’s Polish version of meatloaf – klopsiki, I had to keep reminding myself – was a lot better than any attempts at meatloaf my mom had tried to make; she wasn’t a natural cook to say the least, but my dad wasn’t much better; he always wanted to try some new experiment or strange dish on us and it rarely turned out pleasant.

“Now you’re back in town, what are your plans, Derek?” John asked and I put my knife and fork down, rubbing my jaw, wondering what exactly I was going to do; truth is I barely had a clue, but I had to tell him something.

“Well… I haven’t put _a lot_ of thought into it yet, ‘cause it’s a lot weirder that I expected, y’know? I mean, I’ve gotta get an apartment soon enough because I _really_ can’t handle Cora much longer, I’m working on the job thing and I’ve been talking Laura into selling me her Camaro; it’s not really a day care worker’s car and I’ve wanted that car since I was in high school. I’m so confused, to be honest, I mean, people try to get you ready for life but school didn’t teach me how to do taxes or how to go apartment hunting; like, do I just walk around looking for sale signs or do I go to a real estate agent… wow, rant over; I’m sorry,” I looked down at my dinner, biting my lip; Stiles’ hand snaked into mine on top of the table and she grinned up at me.

“I remember all too well; by the time I was your age I had a pregnant wife and a mortgage to pay. You just take your time; there’s really no rush, son.” John smiled, and I saw the real warning behind his words, despite knowing he meant exactly what he said; he was also telling me not to rush his daughter.

“Along the lines of that, Stiles, Scott; do you have anything planned yet? For when you graduate high school, I mean.” I asked, continuing with my dinner while they looked at each other in horror.

“Dude, I’m like swamped with studying for finals, then I have AP Calculus, AP English Lit and AP Computer Science; so far I’ve applied to _seven_ colleges and I haven’t heard _squat_ from any of them! I have _no idea_ where I’m going, or what I’m doing, or where to god damn _start_! How did you do this? Mom, dad, Derek, please; for the love of god, _how_?” Stiles cried, raking her hands through her tied up hair.

“Yeah, what she said, ‘cept I don’t take any AP classes; I’ve got two replies to the applications I sent out. Berkeley said no, but Beacon Hills Community College said yes, so I’ve got that going. Where did you go, Derek?” Scott asked and I smiled; was it crazy to think I kind of missed it already?

“I went to Columbia, it was a sports scholarship but I majored in creative writing and did my understudy in folklore. Basketball was basically just extracurricular by the time senior year came ‘round-”

“Wow, that reminds me; I have little to no extracurricular activities. I mean, Scotty’s got lacrosse, so do Isaac and Boyd, Lydia and Allison are in so many different clubs I seriously can’t keep up with them, Erica joined the swim team and the martial arts club this year and don’t get me started on that douche-knocker Jackson! And what do I have? Nothing! There is no college in their right minds that would accept me; I don’t _do_ anything! And it’s way too late to take up an extracurricular when we basically only have two months left! _What._ Am I _going. To do?_ ” Stiles shoved her empty plate away and promptly began to slam her head against the table; I put my hand beneath her head and pulled her back up. She looked horrified and completely done.

“Stiles calm down; your problem is that you’re thinking _too_ much. Colleges aren’t looking for the person with the most extracurricular activities; they’re looking for the people that think outside the box and see things in a bigger way. You wanna know what I did that really settled my position with the scholarship? I sent the Dean of Columbia University a video of me shooting my best basketball plays while waxing Edgar Allan Poe and Shakespeare; I did something different, and kinda stupid, but it showed the Dean that I was willing to do _anything_ to get what I wanted. I was willing to think outside the box and show them a little part of me. You’ve gotta be that innovative thinker that the colleges are gonna look at and know you bring something profoundly special to their college that no other college is going to have. You get me?” I asked; I was never much of a talker, but I knew how important this was. This was my mate’s future, and I had to make sure she did exactly what she wanted to do.

“Wow… that is pretty stupid…” She giggled and I bit my lip to hide a smile.

“Yeah, but it got me into one of the best colleges in the US so I don’t regret one single stanza. Now I think that’s enough talking, don’t you? How about we go to the kitchen, wash the dishes, and I’ll cut up that cherry pie?” I asked, smirking as the two teens at the table grinned; I also didn’t miss the smirk on John’s face at the mention of the pie.

“You brought cherry pie? He brought cherry pie! Stiles, this one’s a keeper!” Scott bro-fisted Stiles across the table and I rolled my eyes as I piled up the empty plates at the table.

“Well it’s not like I can get rid of him now.” She looked up at me and I smiled; it was small and private, but it was all for her, and it felt right. It felt perfect to just be here with her and her family as if I hadn’t been a dick to her for the past five years; this was exactly what I wanted and needed. She was the Juliet to my Romeo; the Cleopatra to my Antony; the Hepburn to my Tracy, except in our story, there would be no suicide.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so so so much for reading!!!  
> I enjoyed this chapter and I hope you did too!  
> Please leave kudos if you liked it and if you've got the time, maybe you could drop me a comment because I simply love you for reading :D


	5. Best Night EVER!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lydia and Stiles go shopping, or Lydia shops and Stiles "sneaks" away.  
> Derek and Stiles' first date! Super excite!

I would never admit to being a nervous wreck the entire day, but my friends would tell you otherwise; it was Friday, Derek would be picking me up at seven tonight, and at lunch, Lydia had outright refused to listen to my fretting and worrying. So she pulled me out to her car and almost an hour later, I found myself looking at the giant sign welcoming us to Sacramento; minutes later, Lydia was pulling into Arden Fair Mall with a delighted, yet slightly deranged look on her face.

“Lydia what are we doing here? I think I was good enough not to ask questions when we left Beacon Hills, but a mall in Sacramento? I’m pretty sure there are other malls, much, _much_ closer to Beacon Hills?” I looked at her questioningly and she shook her head, climbing out of the car, so I joined her and followed, rolling my eyes.

“Stiles are you aware of _what_ mall we are currently entering?” Lydia’s tone was cold and crisp, but her eyes lit up as the A/C wafted over us.

“Yeah, it’s the Arden Fair Mall; it houses one hundred and sixty five stores, including Apple, Coach and the Disney Store. It’s anchored by Macy’s, Nordstrom, JC Penney and Sears… the food court also provides free wi-fi.” I recited, thinking back to the project I did in middle school about the advances of shopping malls in America, I used Arden Fair Mall as an example and got an A+, so I regret nothing; it was stupidly easy, but Scott was my partner, so I had to go easy on the poor guy.

“Okay, _weird_ , but I’m just going to ignore your creepy hard-on for shopping malls. Come on; the reason we’re here is, one) to distract you, and two) to get you the _perfect_ outfit for tonight, because I have little to no faith in your wardrobe whatsoever.” Lydia hooked her arm through mine and steered us into the aforementioned Macy’s.

“Okay, we’re looking for a dress that’s equal amounts cute, but still sexy, and with a hint of something that’s just… _Stiles_ ; I was thinking on the way here, a skater skirt could achieve that; the ratio for cute and sexy depend on the length of the skirt and the shape of the neckline, but with your ass and boobs, you’ll definitely be able to pull it… oh my _God_! Stiles I have found it! Shut the front fucking door; Stiles, _look_!” Lydia cried, glee written perfectly on her face as she skipped through the dress section; I stood out of place, looking at the manikin in front of Lydia.

The dress seemed pretty simple; bright, ruby red with three quarter length sleeves and a high neckline, but when examined, the dress would reveal most of the wearer’s back, stopping at the small of the back. The skirt stopped mid-thigh on the manikin, but I wasn’t as tall at the manikin; I actually liked it, and my silent nod of approval sparked Lydia into action.

Her eyes searched the area until they zoomed in on the rack of dresses matching this one, and she stalked towards it, looking like a lion approaching the unsuspecting zebra… and I stopped that train of thought before my mind could wander to the documentary I had watched about predators and prey.

I joined Lydia and she glanced at me before rifling through the rack of dresses; an annoyed, feral growl shook me out of my thoughts once again and I looked at a scowling Lydia, “They don’t have any fours; I swear to all things holy if I don’t get you this dress I’mma cut a bitch!” She stomped off angrily and I looked around pointlessly, biting my lip as Lydia’s pinched, frustrated voice could be heard approaching again.

A woman no older than thirty followed Lydia and I smiled awkwardly at her; she returned the smile, then went back to listening to Lydia complain, “I need you to tell me _right now_ that you have a size four in this dress _somewhere_ in this store.”

“Okay, ma’am, I’ll go check the stock room.” The woman scurried away and I looked at Lydia pointedly.

“We can just find another dress, Lyds,” I told her but she rolled her eyes, scowling as she stabbed the screen of her phone.

“No, we can’t; this dress is perfect. That colour will look _perfect_ with your skin tone and it will bring out those little golden flecks in your eyes; it says ‘I’ve made an effort for you, look at me bitch’ whilst also saying ‘I’m not some two dollar whore you can just fuck and leave, high and dry, so don’t even try, _buddy_ ’. Trust me Stiles, this dress will look adorable on you, with some nude shoes, maybe a gold bracelet and some gold chandelier earrings… oh, you will look _amazing_ , just you wait and see!” I looked at her astonished; I also barely understood a word she just said, because accessorising wasn’t exactly a thing I _ever_ thought about.

“It’s only a first date; why do you care what I look like?” I asked her and her furious typing hesitated for a second before she resumed with even more fervour.

“It’s not _just_ a first date; it’s the first time you’re going to be doing something romantic with the man you’re about to spend the rest of your life with. Stiles, I do care, as much as it seems I don’t; I dressed Erica for her first date with Boyd, I dressed both Isaac and Scott for their first date, I dressed _myself_ for _my_ first date. This is something I have to do, and as I said before; I have absolutely _no faith_ in your wardrobe.” Lydia’s tone was soft, the kindest I had ever heard her speak, but her gaze remained on the phone in front of her and her typing did not falter; my heart, however, gave a stuttering lurch, and I frowned at her, smiling slightly at the sentiment in her words.

“Thank you, Lydia.” She looked up at me with this and a gentle, totally non-evil, smile graced her lips.

“You’re welcome.” She replied curtly; I rolled my eyes and engulfed her in my arms, burying my face in her soft curls. She did not respond immediately, but when she did, she simply reached her arms around my back and patted it gently; the only person I had ever seen her hug non-awkwardly with was Allison, her girlfriend, so I wasn’t offended by her cold reaction.

“Excuse me, I can’t seem to find a size four in that dress in the store room…” The sales assistant was back, so I pulled away from Lydia and she looked at the woman with a judgmental raised eyebrow.

“Well, how about you check the dress size on the manikin, because I am not leaving this store until I have one of those dresses in a size four.” Her tone implied that she was not asking; she was commanding, and the shocked sales assistant complied.

“Lydia, I could have checked the manikin myself.” I whispered in her ear, but she hushed me and watched the woman check the size of the dress the manikin; she smiled and pulled the dress off the plastic body. Needless to say, I sighed in relief as a delighted expression flittered across Lydia’s face.

“Perfect; thank you!” Lydia cawed, taking the dress from the sales assistant; the woman smiled politely and made a hasty get away, probably to go bitch about the snobby teen in the dress section.

Lydia checked the dress size for herself, then nodded in approval and draped the dress over my awaiting arm; I looked at the tag and blanched.

“Lydia… have you _seen_ the _price_ of this dress? I can’t afford this!” I cried and Lydia’s bark of laughter made me jump.

“Sweetie that’s why _I’m_ buying it for you, and I swear if you try to argue about it I’m gonna shove my foot up your ass.” She replied with a matter-of-fact tone;  I rolled my eyes and followed her to the shoe section, trying not to glare at the ridiculous amount of different styled shoes.

Lydia took about ten minutes just glancing around, passing row upon row of colourful shoes; I tossed myself down onto the seats where you could try on the shoes and pulled my phone out. I was useless at shopping, so I resorted to scrolling through my tumblr newsfeed.

“Here, put these on; I got you a nine and a nine in case the eight felt pinchy.” She held out a pair of nude suede wedged and I pulled of my sneakers; she rolled her eyes when I didn’t take off my socks and I removed them with a sigh. The nine did fit, so she ordered me to put them both on and walk around a little; this was the part I had dreaded. Lydia, Erica and Laura made walking in heels look so magnificently _easy_ , but the moment I tried a pair on, they became instant helter skelters.

I stood and reached for Lydia cautiously, but she stepped back and raised her brow, looking expectant, so I took a few tentative steps, only to find the heels surprisingly easy to not fall flat on my face in. Lydia watched me with glee and I rolled my eyes, sitting back down again; I removed the shoes and put my own back on.

“They’re a thick wedge, you see, so they give a lot more balance and stability; trust me, despite what you _may_ think, I don’t actually want you to die yet.” Lydia explained while she took the shoes and the dress, and held them against each other, nodding in approval.

“Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Have you been watching Awkward. again?” I asked her and she avoided my questioning gaze; she had a mega-crush on Sadie, and I had to agree with her, Sadie is one fierce bitch, and Lydia could relate.

“Your question is invalid; try again later.”

“Okay, oh, magic 8-ball!” I mock-bowed to her and laughed as her cheeks tinged pink.

“Cut the crap, Stilinski!” She barked, storming off to the accessory and makeup section; I rolled my eyes, abandoning her search for stuff that didn’t make sense to me. I pulled out my phone again, ready to tell her exactly that.

**_To Queen Red:_ Hey Lyds, listen, I’m gonna go hook up to the free wi-fi in the food court and get something to eat. How long you gonna be?**

**_From Queen Red:_ Give me 20mins to half an hour, k. Get me a chai tea latte frm Starbucks.**

I smiled and waltzed out of the store; the food court wasn’t too busy for a Friday afternoon, teens were in school and most adults were at work, so it was mainly little kids and their mothers. I scanned my choices for food and settled on In-N-Out Burger; I got a double-double, French fries and a chocolate shake.

While I ate, I didn’t really want to be that person that just sits and stares at random people in the food court, so I took out my phone, biting my lip as I pulled up the only conversation I really wanted to see right now.

**_To Derek:_ Not even a double-double from In-N-Out can console the pain of my torture right now! x**

**_From Derek:_ Oh yea? What’s wrong? x**

**_To Derek:_ Lydia. That’s what’s wrong; she’s shopping while I sit in the food court lookin like a creep!!!  >:(**

**_From Derek:_ Why did you go with her if you were just gonna be a creeper? :P**

**_To Derek:_ She dragged me to her car and just drove to Sacramento dude; what was I supposed to do?** **Jump out of the moving vehicle on the freeway? Yea, don’t see that happening; I actually wanna live to see what you’ve got planned for tonight ;)**

**_To Derek:_ Oh my fucking Jesus Christ I meant *:) the winky face is so suggestive… look at it… just… well, should I be suggestive?**

It was at this point that I panicked; I had heard all the stories about the notorious Derek Hale who was known for his supposedly amazing dates that _always_ led to some form of sex. I didn’t know if I was ready for that; I’d waited so long it didn’t even seem like a thing to actually _think_ about. My inner freak-out was interrupted by the ping of my phone; I opened the message hesitantly.

**_From Derek:_ Stiles, I’m not expecting anything from you tonight, and if I gave you that impression I’m sorry. Do I give that impression?**

**_To Derek:_ Dude, no way; I’m just being stupid. I know you’re not the same as you were in high school; I’ve just heard way to many stories**

**_To Derek:_ And I’m not making this conversation any easier. Dammit, I’m sorry for assuming the worst… I’m facepalming right now, just so you know.**

I rolled my eyes, throwing the phone at the table like it had burnt my hand; I finished my food while I waited for a reply. When the food ran out, I turned to the shake with a vengeance; once the drink ran out and the brain freeze wore off, I looked to see a new message and attacked my phone clumsily.

**_From Derek:_ Really wish I hadn’t been THAT guy, but it’s a little late to take it all back :/ I need to stress the fact that I don’t want you to do anything you aren’t comfortable with; I can wait as long as you need to. I don’t want you to regret anything. x**

The direction this conversation had taken made my cheeks and neck flush crimson red; it wasn’t that I was scared to do the deed, it was just extremely daunting, and if the stories I heard from my girl-friends were anything to go by, the first few times wouldn’t exactly be the most pleasant experience.

**_To Derek:_ I guess we can talk about it more in person. x**

I shoved my phone away and put my trash in the closest trash can; I skipped over to Starbucks and ordered our drinks. Lydia sat down next to me the second I had our drinks on the table and she grinned at me, “Just wait ‘til you see what I bought; I’m gonna make you a whole new person! Derek’s gonna want to ravish you the moment he sees you… hmm, I bet Derek’s a good lover; he looks like the type that can get a girl squirting without a second thought… lucky, lucky lady; cherish that man…” Lydia seemed lost in her own thoughts as she sipped at her chai tea latte, whilst the mouthful of mocha cookie crumble Frappuccino sprayed across the table.

“ _Lydia_!” She gave me an innocent ‘what?’ expression over the top of her cup, “That’s my _mate_ you’re talking about; we’re in public! You can’t say that in public! And I’d rather not think about his ability to… do _that_ …” Now she had me thinking about it, and _something_ inside me _liked_ thinking about Derek doing that to me; longed for it even.

“Oh stop being such a prude! Derek Hale is an animal in the sack and _you_ are going to confirm this as soon as it finally happens; you have to tell me, no arguing. How long do you think you’ll wait?” Lydia asked and I blushed deeper, trying to hide in my frappe.

“I don’t feel comfortable talking about that…”

“Ugh, _please_! I just bought you an entire outfit, and you really don’t wanna know how much I spent; I’m not asking you to tell me every position you’re gonna do it in and what brand of condoms you’re gonna use… just _when_?”

“Lydia…” I dragged out her name, trying for Scotty’s puppy eyes, but she was having none of it; her expectant expression didn’t waver at all. “I don’t know, okay? We’ve been ‘together’ a week and you expect me to know when he’s gonna pop my cherry? And I use the term ‘together’ _extremely_ loosely… but I guess if I had to give you a ball point figure… I’d say maybe my birthday? Or sometime after that? You know, so it’s like, _legal_.”

“Hmm… that would make sense; that’s less than a month away, though, so you’ll be a pleasured woman in no time! I can’t believe you’ve waited this long; if I were you, I would have demanded sex from that man _years_ ago…” Lydia looked at her drink thoughtfully, lips pursed.

“That’s not how mates work; I’ve told you this a million times, Lydia, he had to figure it out for himself, and if sixteen year old me went up to _twenty_ year old Derek, demanding sex, I think that would have been kinda weird for one, extremely illegal for two, and dead obvious for three. Listen, Lydia, I think we should be getting back to Beacon Hills; it’s already like, three and I have a lot I need to do before I go on this date, okay?” I watched her carefully and she sighed, picking up her Starbucks cup and the Macy’s bags.

“Fine, but do you haven everything ready?”

“What do you mean?” I asked as we made our way back out to the parking lot.

“I mean, do you have wax, deodorant, emergency tampons…?”

“Uh… I was just gonna shave after school and I definitely have the other two… why? Is there anything else I need? I mean, I did _thorough_ research on what’s needed and expected on a first date, but do you think I’ve missed anything? What if I forget the most important thing?” I frowned, searching the list I accumulated in my head over the past week.

“Well, I’ll stay with you to do your hair and makeup, and I’ll tell you exactly what you do and do not need; I will be your fairy godmother!” Lydia cackled as we got into her car; I rolled my eyes and focused on my frappe.

The drive back to Beacon Hills took a little over an hour this time, due to some after-school traffic, but I still made it home with plenty time left to spare; Lydia shoved me straight into the shower and I shaved _every_ inch of my body – slightly melodramatic, but you get the point; I was smooth.

Lydia dried and curled my hair, then she applied very minimal makeup to my face and the false eyelashes she put on irritated my eyes a little, but her threats of my painful destruction if I touched anywhere near my eyes were enough to keep me away from the fluttery lashes. I sat at the table in the kitchen in only a bathrobe and the lacy red underwear as Lydia rattled on about things I really couldn’t keep up with.

It was at about six-forty that my mom got home from wherever it was she went during the day; it was probably the Hale’s house, because that’ pretty much the only place either of us spend our time anymore.

“Oh my gosh, sweetie, you look beautiful- no, wait, I’m supposed to be mad at you! I got a call from the principal today, you wanna guess why?” My mom, bless her poor soul, tried to look stern and ‘parental’ but her grin was far too evident; if there was one thing in this world that my mother loved to see, it was her daughter actually looking like a daughter.

“It wouldn’t happen to coincide with Lydia buying me the most _adorable_ dress while we were strangely _not_ in school during the allocated time, would it? Wait ‘til you see the dress, mom; you’re gonna love it! It’s uh, what kind of dress did you say it was?” I asked Lydia, looking at her with pleading eyes.

“Skater.”

“Yea, it’s a skater dress, and it’s red; I’ll go put it on! Just you wait and see!” I scurried out of the room; my mom couldn’t ground me if I wasn’t in the room, and as soon as she saw the dress on me, she’d forget all about me ditching school. It was for a good cause, after all.

I pulled the dress out of the bag and slipped it on when I got to my room and I looked at myself in the mirror; the dress was a perfect fit, hugging my torso nicely, and the chiffon skirt ended mid-thigh. I bit my lip and grimaced at the taste of the nude lip-gloss; sighing, with a slight smile, I tumbled down the stairs unsteadily and stood in front of my mom and Lydia, hands on my hips triumphantly.

“Lysianassa Danika Stilinski… my precious little girl… you are just stunning, honey, c’mere; how could I stay mad at you when you look so perfect?” My mom pulled me into a hug and I sent Lydia a wink over my mom’s shoulder; she stifled a giggle and looked down at her phone.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been this nervous before; I took another Adderall after my shower but I feel kinda jumpy… should I take another one?” I frowned, throwing myself onto the chair I had previously vacated.

“How many did you take this morning?”

“Uh… two?”

“Okay, probably safe that you don’t take any more tonight. He’ll be here in ten minutes, you get up those stairs and finish up; your dad’s on his way home, he wants to see you before you go and he wants to ‘look intimidatingly at Derek with his Sheriff uniform on’. He’s going to have far too much fun embarrassing you now, you know that right?” She pushed me towards the stairs and I scrambled up them, knowing time was running out _fast_.

I slipped on the shoes and the jewellery Lydia picked out; she had already put everything I needed into the small nude clutch bag, so I picked it up and took one last look in the mirror. Using the calm breathing learnt from yoga, I relaxed myself as the sound of my dad’s cruiser pulled into the driveway; I smiled at my reflection and carefully stepped down the stairs, mindful of the chance that I could fall and snap my neck.

“Where is she?” My dad called as soon as he opened the front door and I froze at the bottom of the stairs, his gaze landed on me and my nerves came rushing back to me all over again; this is the man that could make me go back upstairs and change my entire outfit. I really hope he doesn’t

“I’m here, daddy… what do you think?” I looked up at him from under thick lashes, and the unmistakable glassiness in his eyes told me everything I needed to know; I strode over to him and enveloped him in my arms, standing almost as tall as him, bar an inch or so.

“You look beautiful… looks like you’re not my baby girl anymore though…” He pulled out of the hug first and I smiled, pressing a delicate peck on his cheek.

“I’ll always be your baby girl.”

“Okay, as nice as this moment is, I’ve gotta get my wolfsbane bullets out…” He walked away, into the living room and I rolled my eyes, throwing my face into my hands.

“Ah, ah, ah, no! Come here; lemmy make sure you look perfect!” Lydia barked and I turned to her, eyebrows raised as she attacked me with another layer of lip-gloss.

“There, now, I would tell you that I couldn’t look better myself, but who are we kidding here? I’m perfect, but you’re a chip off the old block and I’m proud of you, and I’m proud of me for making all _this_ happen!” She gestured to my body and I rolled my eyes, “Now, quickly, go to the bathroom; you don’t wanna be getting up to pee at the start of your date, no matter where you are. Just a precaution.”

I did as she said, and about half way through washing my hands – for the third time; I was starting to feel the jittery butterflies in the pit of my stomach, and the rhythm of washing my hands seemed to calm the ADHD for a second – the doorbell rang; needless to say, my heart stopped for a second and immediately sped into hyper-drive and I felt like it could make the Kessel Run in less than twelve parsecs.

“I’ve got it!” I heard my mom squeal from downstairs and I looked in the mirror, suddenly re-thinking every life decision I ever made, and I had absolutely no idea why; he’s known my mom and dad probably longer than I have, so theoretically there’s nothing to be nervous about, but what if something goes wrong? What if they say something wrong? What if _I_ say something wrong? What if I do something to completely embarrass myself in front of him? Or even worse, what if I embarrass _him_? He’ll see that I’m just some nerdy child who quotes everything from Star Wars to Game of Thrones; he’ll have to meet that side of me at some point, I know that, but did it have to be so early in the relationship? I mean, he still has the option to back out, hell, he can reject me as his mate at any moment; rejecting a mate hurts, like shit, and I’ve heard from the rare few that have been rejected by their mate that it’s the worst feeling in the entire world, and this is coming from women who have given birth. I don’t think I could handle that kind of rejection; I think I’d spontaneously combust!

“Stiles, are you okay in there?” Lydia asked from the other side of the door and I hurried to unlock it and tore it open, facing her with every ounce of panic I think I had ever felt; she looked at me with wide, shocked eyes and before I had a second to think, her hand whipped up and she slapped me.

She _slapped_ me. In the face. With her hand. _Fucking ouch!_

“Ow, you bitch, what was that for? I needed that! I know what that was for! Thank you!” I shook my head, still reeling from the sensation of actually being _slapped_ in the _face_ ; I grinned, forcing all my doubts to the back of my head as I descended the stairs as graceful as my long limbs would carry me.

“Go get ‘im, tiger” Lydia called and I blushed, knowing he could hear her loud and clear.

“-I’m actually going to look at an apartment tomorrow morning and I _maybe_ stole the car keys from Laura for tonight, but she knows it’s for a good cause, so she’ll be fine.” I stopped at the bottom of the stairs again, listening to the conversation being held in the living room; I sighed, preparing myself for Derek’s reaction to my new apparel.

I knew my mom and Derek had heard me sigh, because seconds later, they joined me in the hallway, and Derek’s expression shifted; I wasn’t a professional in this field, but I knew he suddenly went from happy and light-hearted, to a man that was heavily drawn by lust. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that this was a more than acceptable response.

“You look… woah… I’m a lame excuse for a writer when I’m completely lost for words.” His gaze shifted from me, down to his shoes, and back up again; I smiled and surveyed his body. He wore an extremely tight fitting black button up, with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and even tighter black jeans; he left two or three of the shirt buttons undone, and the chest hair the peeked out practically had my mouth watering, and of course, he wore the black sneakers I had become accustomed to seeing him in for years now.

“Yeah, well, thanks, but don’t get used to the dress, okay? I’m still in a long-term relationship with my two buddies; plaid and denim. You look hot as shit,” I blushed, ducking my head as I then caught sight of my mom and dad looking at me with raised eyebrows, “I mean… you look rather dashing, Mr Darcy!” I squeaked in a terrible British accent.

“Plaid is good too.” He smiled, showing his perfect bunny teeth and I felt my own lips tug into a smile as I walked the short distance over to him.

“Ugh, who are you kidding? Plaid is disgusting unless it’s a plaid miniskirt or, on slim occasion, a dress.” Lydia cackled and I turned, shooting a glare at her.

“Anyway, as if you’d ever wear plaid.” I shot back at Derek and he smiled through an affronted look.

“I’ve worn plaid, not recently, but I’m pretty sure I own a plaid shirt or two. C’mon, I’ve got reservations set for seven-thirty and it’s already ten past; I don’t wanna break any speeding laws, for _obvious_ reasons.” He winked and I grinned, snaking my arm around his waist; I waved at my mom and dad, and Lydia with my free hand.

“Oh, _where_?” I asked, excitement filling me.

“It’s a surprise, but I’ll let you know now; I had a _little_ help from Scott and Erica.” Again, he winked and my heart stuttered at the sight of it; he should stop doing that, for the sake of my parent’s wellbeing.

“I hate surprises!”

“Well then, get used to ‘em babe, ‘cause surprises are a part of this package; plus, I kinda know you’ll love it, just don’t question it… oh wait, asking you not to question something is like asking Scott to not be an adorable little shit. Now, come _on_ , we’ve gotta go. Goodnight John, goodnight Claudia; it was a pleasure meeting you Lydia, and goodbye. We’ll be back by midnight.” He grinned and I scoffed.

“What am I? Cinderella? ‘Night mom, dad, Lydia; if we aren’t back by _midnight_ , don’t wait up, I know where the spare key is!” I grinned and dragged Derek out of the house, feeling Derek’s palm caress the skin of my back; the air wasn’t cold, but his burning hot hand made it feel cold to the rest of my body.

“You really do look spectacular tonight; that colour is perfect on you, definitely makes me feel like the big bad wolf though.” He chuckled and I gasped, looking down at the red as we slid into the smooth black leather of Laura’s Camaro – I could definitely get used to seeing Derek behind the wheel of this sleek vehicle. I put my bag down on the floor and put my safety belt on; I rubbed my palms nervously on the skirt of the crimson red dress, again rethinking the dress choice. Could Lydia have done this on purpose? Possibly. Would she love to see me squirming in the heat of the car right now, knowing my mate had basically just called us Little Red Riding Slut and the Big Bad Wolf – it was a porno I watched, and thoroughly enjoyed, but nobody else had to know that - ? She most certainly would, because Lydia was _that_ kind of masochist.

“Sorry, did I make it awkward with my terrible reference to a childhood fairy-tale that some strange producer turned into a low-grade porno?” I blanched at his words, looking at him with a mixture of shock, awe and excitement.

“Low-grade? Dude, it’s one of my favourites! And you cannot completely condemn the Grimme Brothers for some of their work; you’ve gotta admit Beauty Rides Her Beast is fantastic!” He grinned as he watched the road, stealing glances at me with something like shock on his face as he drove.

“You sure know your way around a fantasy porn website.”

“It’s not just the website I know a lot about; I did my research and found the Grimme Brothers, they aren’t actually brothers, obviously, but their names are Jeremy and Lyle, Jeremy’s a dragon and Lyle’s a grigori – which is a Christian fallen angel, and they’re _so_ cool. They live in southern California and I like, talk to them on a regular basis; we’re gonna meet up when I’m officially eighteen because Lyle has this thing about them being bad influences on a teen such as myself, but as soon as I’m an adult, I can go meet my favourite porn directors. Isn’t that fucking _awesome_? Oh my god, I just went on a complete tangent about porn… what is my life? Ugh, I’m gonna stop now; change of subject, _please_!” I grinned awkwardly, blushing profusely as I looked down at my fingers, fiddling with the hem of my dress.

“Calm down, okay? I think your rambling is cute, and I like the fact that you’re not one of those girls that acts like they’ve never watched porn before, because porn is supposedly a ‘guy’ thing. But you asked for a change of subject… so, how about we play my favourite first date game?” He asked, turning up the A/C.

“What would that be? Sexual horse? I mean, I’ve played horse, and you’re a basketball player, surely that’s a _thing_?” I teased, grinning over at him.

“ _Sexual horse_ … I’ve honestly never heard of that, and that definitely doesn’t sound like a _first_ date game, but I’d definitely be up for it.”

“Oh, you’d be _up_ for it, huh?” I bit my lip, but laughter overtook me and I snorted, a disgusting and embarrassing sound that only had me laughing louder at my own stupid pun. “Oh- my god-” Another thunderously ugly snort tore through my laughter and I looked up, tears streaking down my face, noticing Derek pulling into a parking lot of a small restaurant.

What I expected to see was Derek looking freaked out and ready to dump my ass on the curb before speeding away without a second glance, but what I saw had my laughter calming down to a much more normal rate, so I could wipe away my tears and settle on a much calmer chuckle; his eyes were soft and open as his body shook with laughter, mouth hung wide open, comically framing the bunny teeth I had practically fangirled over for the past five years.

“You are just too perfect! Please- I just- I have been missing out on that priceless laugh for too god damn long; you have to laugh like that forever, babe, that laugh is magnificent!” As his laughter died down, I watched him carefully, shocked and in complete awe; Scotty called me ‘Miss Piggy’ for that laugh, yet this majestic man in front of me found it… magnificent?

“Can I- uh, can I kiss you?” He asked tentatively and I nodded, grinning and eager.

His hand slipped under my hair, caressing my neck with his strong fingers, and he pulled me forward with little force, because I willingly followed him into a soft, gentle kiss. I wound my fingers into his hair, using instinct as my only guide, and his hand that wasn’t on my neck slipped around my waist, massaging small circles on my skin with his thumb. I felt a bout of confidence and bit down slightly on his lip, tugging, drawing an animalistic whine from his lips as he slid his tongue across my bottom lip teasingly.

His hand lowered, snaking down to my thigh, and rested there, squeezing along with the pulsing rhythm of our lips. “ _Fuck_ …” I groaned as I opened my mouth, where his tongue slid in, sweeping across my own delicately; I pressed my torso into his as far as I could, feeling the awkward grind of my thigh against the gear stick.

“I think-” He began, pulling back for a second, before continuing the kiss, “we should probably-” he broke away again, only this time he re-latched his lips to my jaw, sucking and nipping at my sensitive skin, “stop, and go-” his rhythm moved to my neck, where his sucking intensified, “we have reservations-” he panted against my neck as my hands snaked across his thickly muscled shoulders, dragging my short nails down his muscles.

“But… ugh, you’re right, c’mon; we can finish this after dinner…” I smirked, pulling his face away from my neck, where he was quite obviously scenting me; I could certainly get used to the stubble burn that accompanied Derek’s scenting.

“Oh, we will, I can assure you that.” He turned the engine off and climbed out the car; I picked up my bag and turned, but he already had the door open, with a smooth smirk adorning his spit-slick lips.

“You’re such a romantic!” I grinned, climbing out of the car, careful of the heels I wore.

“I’m not usually this bad, but I guess it takes the right girl to turn this pup into a wolf.”

“That’s a terrible pun, but I applaud you for trying.” We entered the small restaurant and the hostess grinned up at Derek, her eyelashes fluttered and my blood practically boiled; I felt my expression harden and my grip on Derek’s waist tightened. I knew it was petty and childish to react to her flirtation this way, but the link to my mate pulsed strong and hard, and I couldn’t battle the overwhelming feeling of jealousy coursing through my veins.

“Mr Hale, table for two?” The hostess picked up two menus when Derek nodded; she turned and led us into the main floor of the restaurant, to a table that was relatively quiet and secluded from the rest of the customers. The table was set with candles and swan shaped napkins; Derek pulled my seat out and I flushed, beaming up at him as he pushed the chair in, he sat down, completely ignoring the hostess and her Cheshire grin.

His attention was all on me and I bathed in the sensation.

I picked up my menu when the hostess left, informing us – more like informing Derek – that our waiter would be with us shortly. The dim lighting in the restaurant played all sorts of havoc with Derek’s eyes, because I couldn’t quite decide if they were more on the green side of hazel or the blue side of hazel.

I looked over the menu and decided that we were in a Polish restaurant; I looked up at him, shocked, but grinning nonetheless, “Can you even read what half the dishes on this menu are?”

“No, but I was kinda hoping you’d suggest something you like? I spent a whole week thinking; where do I take her, and with Scott’s input, I found this place… why? Do you not like it?” He looked deeply unsure; very unlike the Derek Hale I knew and loved.   

“Oh my god, are you kidding? I love it, and I love Polish food; you did perfect, thank you.” I knew these were the words he needed to hear, because his chest inflated and his shoulders straightened; his broad grin returned and I could feel his inner wolf preening. His inner wolf practically howled, singing to my soul in a way that had me swaying with the power of it; it was a deep, yearning bond and I longed to touch him again, to feel him, to feel our bond strengthening.

“Can I get you any drinks?” The waiter asked as he stood next to us, looking expectantly between us.

“We’ll take a bottle of red wine and two shots of your finest vodka,” Derek told him, smirking over at me when my eyes widened; I was no stranger to the odd beer or two, but wine was Lydia’s drink, and vodka would be a new one for me. The waiter smiled and went away to get the drinks.

“I might have to tell the Sheriff that you’re a bad influence on his innocent little girl; what do you think?” I smirked and he rolled his eyes in that distinctly _Hale_ way.

“Maybe you should; I’d probably agree with you, I’m a terrible influence on you.”

“Well, I’m not complaining, and Sheriff Stilinski will hear nothing about the alcohol his _seventeen_ year old daughter is about to drink.”

“Ah, but you’re less than a month away from your eighteenth birthday.”

The waiter came back with the wine in an iced bucket and the two shots of clear vodka on a small tray; he placed the bucket down on the round table and set the shots in the middle of the table.

“Are you ready to order?” He asked and Derek nodded over to me, giving me full reigns on what we would be eating; I scanned over the menu and quickly picked some of my favourites.

“Żeberka wędzone with a side of tłuczone ziemniaki.” I ordered Derek smoked ribs with a side of mashed potatoes, and I couldn’t help but notice the pride that shone in Derek’s eyes as I spoke the perfect Polish – my mom had me learning Polish since I started talking. “And I’ll take pieczeń wieprzowa z winem with a side of fasolka z migdałami, thank you.” For myself, I ordered roast pork with a wine sauce with a side of fresh slender snipped grean beans steamed and topped with butter, bread crumbs, and toasted almond slices.

I was super proud of myself as the waiter waltzed away after hurriedly scribbling the order down, and I smirked over at Derek, winking slightly at his goofy grin.

“Speaking of said eighteenth birthday, I’ve been thinking about it this past week… and what my eighteenth birthday actually means for _us_ … I know it’s not really that far away, but we’re mates, and I’ve seriously waited long enough, so I was thinking… we should do something _extra_ special for my birthday… just you and me.” I didn’t want to blatantly tell him what I wanted in the middle of this small restaurant, but he seemed to catch my drift pretty quickly, a small, gentle smile finding its way onto his face.

“Oh yeah? Well, what if your friends, the pack, or your parents want to spend that special day with you? I mean, it’s not every day you turn eighteen. I’m not saying I don’t want to spend the day with you, doing what I _think_ you’re implying we do, but I’m not the only person that wants to spend time with you.”

“Why do you have to be the voice of reason? Ugh… if they do plan something, I suppose we could wait ‘til the day after? My birthday falls on a Tuesday this year, which sucks balls, but I know if I sweet talk my mom and go into school on the Tuesday, I could probably persuade her to let me take the Wednesday off to be with you?” I looked at him hopefully and he grinned; I loved that smile, and I knew right then and there that I could physically never get sick of looking at the face in front of me.

“That sounds amazing, but are you sure you want to jump that quickly? I mean, we’re still pretty early in our relationship, and I don’t want you to rush, or feel like sex is something you have to do.” I understood exactly where he was coming from with this, but I’ve seriously waited too long, with only my fingers and my imagination.

“Believe me, I don’t feel like it’s something I have to do; it’s something I _need_ and _want_ to do. You’re my mate, and you haven’t rejected me, so I think it’s easy for me to say that I wanna spend the rest of my life with you; hell, I’ve known for five years that I want to spend every waking second with you, and I know I’m coming on _super_ strong right now, but fuck it, I’m yours whether you want me or not.”

“Keep saying things like that and we’ll have a problem waiting ‘til the 8th of April.” At his words, I finally noticed the slightly golden flicker in his eyes and I grinned, mischievous to say the least.

“Oh yeah? You like the fact that I’m _all_ yours and you could have your way with me _any_ time you want…” I trailed off, seeing the inner battle he fought to remain in his human form; I drummed my fingers against the table, smirking as I slipped my foot out of my shoe and slid it forward slightly. I met the inside of his calf and his body jerked forward slightly, panicked and frenzied eyes pleading with me as my foot slid higher up his calf.

“Stiles… if you know what’s good for you, you’ll stop.” The warning in his voice was weak and wavering.

“Uh huh, I think I’ll stop when I feel like stopping.” I leaned down in my chair a little, stretching my leg to trail it back and forth along his inner thigh; a small, lustrous whine escaped his lips and I bit my lip, feeling an instant _need_ rocket through my core and pulse between my legs.

“If you’re the big bad wolf… does that make me your little red riding hood?” I purred, staring into his gold-to-hazel flickering eyes; our waiter then chose to appear with our food. A panicked squeak left my lips as I straightened in my seat, shoving my shoe back on as the waiter tried to hide a smirk.

“The pork and spring beans for the lady,” He set my food down in front of me, “and your smoked ribs and mashed potatoes, sir.” He placed Derek’s food down, and I caught the end of a wink as he left us alone again; yeah, he definitely knew what the hell was going on underneath the table.

“Well, that’s embarrassing as fuck.” I grumbled, stabbing the pork on my plate with a vengeance.

“Believe it or not, worse has happened to me; that’s _nothing_ compared to some of the crazy shit that’s happened to me. I remember my first year at Columbia, this chick was blowing me- shit, sorry; definitely not going to talk about _that_ with you…” He looked down at his food and looked back up at me with a challenging expression. “You got me ribs because you know I’m going to make a damn fool out of myself eating them, didn’t you?”

“Maybe, or maybe I just really like smoked ribs and thought you should try them.” I knew he had had a lot of sex with a lot of different, older, sexier women, but somehow, for some strange, twisted reason, I actually didn’t mind hearing about his sexcapades; they’re in his past, and I’m in his future, I had nothing to worry about. Or at least, that’s what I’m going to tell myself so I can sleep at night.

“Oh, yeah, definitely; well, I’m gonna eat these awkward ass ribs and you’re gonna enjoy the show.” He grinned and I laughed, swallowing my food before raising my brow in a challenge.

“You sound pretty confident about that; make sure you don’t get any sauce in your fluffy lookin’ five o’clock shadow… babe.” I grinned, eating my food as he watched me, tearing the meat from the bones; I tried and I tried to hold in my laughter, filling my mouth with as much food as I could, but his burning gaze was too much, and I only just swallowed a mouthful before my bellowing laughter ricocheted around the slowly emptying restaurant.

He joined in my laughter, resting his forehead on the back of his hand, holding a rib in the other hand as his entire body shook; my stomach muscles tightened and groaned as I clutched at my mid-section, unable to look away from the dark brown-red sauce around Derek’s mouth.

“Stop- haha- no, please- oh my- _god_ , _stop_ it you freak!” I cried, but there was no heat behind my words; I beamed across at him, using my napkin to dab the tears from my eyes, remembering Lydia saying something about mascara and running. I didn’t understand the correlation, but the black tear stains on the napkin told me enough; I probably looked like a total train wreck.

“You want _me_ to stop? You started it!” He grinned back, wiping his hands on his napkin; I looked down and he had completely finished every last rib. I shook my head and he started on the mashed potatoes, shoulders still shaking every now and then as I finished my side order.

“You’re such a dork for saying you’re a big ol’ jock strap.” I told him over the rim of my wine glass; the wine was nice and fruity and washed down my food sufficiently, but I still wasn’t a wine-convert.

“Stiles, jock straps are football players; I play basketball, and you know you love the fact that I’m a massive dork.” He winked and my heart fluttered; yeah, I do love it when he’s a dork, I love it when he’s being a dick too, hell, I just love him.

“So was there a reason you got us shots of vodka? Or are we just really getting down and dirty with my heritage?” I smirked and lifted one of the shot glasses; Derek mimicked me and lifted the glass towards me. Our glasses clinked as they touched and he winked, throwing it down the hatch; an action I quickly followed.

“Well, it’s celebration for what’s to come in our relationship.”

“You writer types; always so mysterious and philosophical.” I stuck my tongue out at him as he waved the waiter over.

“Will you be ordering any desserts?” The waiter asked, handing me a dessert menu; I nodded eagerly, scanning the menu as I had before.

“Can we get like, two portions of faworki to go? But just throw ‘em all in a box or something?” I asked and the waited smiled, nodding as he wrote the order down; he then left without a word.

“What’s faworki?” Derek asked and I giggled at his terrible pronunciation, but I had to hand it to him; he tried.

“It’s a thin pastry that’s twisted  then I think it’s either fried or baked, I’m not sure, but in the English language, they’d be known as angel wings, because that’s what they apparently look like.” I told him, finishing my glass of wine.

“Cool, I guess I should get my card ready if we’re leaving when we get our dessert; what time is it?” He asked, so I pulled my phone out of my bag and checked.

“It’s almost nine; how in the name of all things supernatural have we been here for an hour and a half?” I grinned as he shimmied his wallet out of those ridiculously tight jeans; he got his card out and I saw a message from Scott.

**_From Scott:_ You are such an embarrassment but I love you for it; Isaac said hi, so did Erica and Boyd. We’re like, outside right now and you two are cute as shit together. Also, side note; what the fuck is Der-Bear doing to those poor ribs? What did they ever do to him? Love you sis, have fun x**

I rolled my eyes, turning to look out the front window of the restaurant, and sure as hell, Scott’s mom’s car sat in the parking lot; Scott and Isaac were waving like maniacs in the front, while Erica stuck her body between the two front seats, grinning crazily, showing me the thumbs up sign. I shook my head, turning back to see Derek had noticed them too.

“How did you know they were out there? I couldn’t even hear them? I mean, I can now that I’m concentrating; they’re being such children, making kissy noises.” Derek smiled, leaning back as our waiter took all of our plates away.

“Scott texted me and he wanted to know what the ribs ever did to you to deserve that kind of mistreatment.”

“Well, Scott, blame your best friend; she ordered them.” Derek winked at me as he talked to Scott; I knew he heard, because I got a message from him a few seconds later.

**_From Scott:_ I blame you! It’s always you, you heathen! You’re a bad influence! But I’m totally telling your dad about your ‘celebratory’ shot if you EVER try to fuck with me! I finally have blackmail material FUCK YOU STILINSKI!!!! But I still love you, Isaac said he loves you too and Erica said you have a really sexy back and that she wants to take a sharpie to your moles to see if she can make anything out of them. She made Boyd agree but Boyd also thinks we should leave the two of you be, but that’s no fun!**

“Boyd is right; shut the fuck up and go _home_!” I growled, showing Derek the message; he smirked and I instantly knew that he wanted to see my back so he could do the same.

“You can pay your bill at the bar, sir.” The waiter was back with a large-ish white box in his hands; I took the box happily and the waiter left us. I followed Derek up to the bar, putting my bag on top of the food box; he paid and we left, instantly bombarded by the sight of my friend, grinning their pervy little smiles while Boyd stayed in the car, watching us with sympathy under that steel outer core he held so perfectly.

“You’re all weird and I hate you.” I told them, walking away with Derek hot on my heels; he opened my door and I stepping down into the Camaro. I rolled the window down and Scott his fat head in and I pushed strong feelings of ‘get the fuck away from us and stop ruining my date’ towards him and the other two meddling… meddlers.

“Awe, Stiles, c’mon; we aren’t that bad, I just wanted to know how awesome I am for telling Derek to take you here. Aren’t I awesome? Tell Isaac I’m awesome; he doesn’t believe me!”

“Bullshit! I call your bullshit you big fat bullshitter! Babe, I think she’s gonna shank us if we don’t leave, like right now; look, she’s got that threatening, murderous look in her eyes that she got when we walked in on her special Stiles time, remember?” Isaac and Erica’s laughter was the final nail in the coffin; I put the faworki on the backseat, along with my bag and threw my door open, ready to go out and _make_ them leave, when Derek’s gentle hand clasped around my forearm and pulled me back into the car. He leaned over and closed the door, and then rolled the window down with the button on his side of the car.

“Ignore them, okay? Tonight is about us, not our annoying pack; anyway, the night isn’t over, I still have a few tricks up my sleeve.” He winked, placing a calming kiss on my lips as I blocked out Scott’s complaining.

“There’s _more_?”

“Hell yeah, there’s more; you didn’t seriously think our first date was just gonna be dinner? Two more destinations to be exact, and the sun is just about to set, so we’ve gotta get a move on.” He grinned as he pulled out of the parking lot; I returned his grin and reached back to get the faworki.

I opened the box and the sugar sweet smell wafted through the car; I took a deep breath and looked over at the radio as one of my favourites came on, turning it up to a point where it wouldn’t hurt Derek’s sensitive ears.

“This is my song!” I cried, plucking one of the light pastries out of the box; I stretched my arm towards Derek with the pastry and he opened his mouth and ate the faworki, nipping my fingers as I pulled my hand back.

“You seriously go from listening to deep house music to _Skrillex_?” He asked casually and I smiled, really going to town on the box of pastries; it was a ‘one for Derek, one for Stiles’ kind of system.

“Yeah, I like to keep my music open and varied; it means there’s always a song for a different mood and you can’t beat that feeling when a song perfectly matches your mood. Like right now, Make it Bun Dem really hits the middle point of relaxed and ecstatic, because that’s exactly how you make me feel and this song just amplifies that feeling. Ya’ get me?” I asked, looking out the window as Beacon Hills passed by; we soon found ourselves in the next town over, Ash Valley.

“I get it, but I wouldn’t exactly put this song and relaxing in the same sentence?”

“Eh, I like it and it’s singing to me right now. I always imagine playing this when we have sex; it’s an on-going fantasy of mine.”

“Oh yeah, tell me more.” He smirked over at me for a second, but his knuckles seemed to tighten around the wheel.

“Well… it usually starts off where we’re just makin’ out on the bed, and the song’s playing…” I closed my eyes, watching the fantasy fill my mind, “Then… our clothes are off, and I straddle you…” The heat beneath my skin throbbed, and I flicked on the A/C in an attempt to cool down my racing hormones. “And your hands are just _everywhere_ on my body… burning… then I ride you like it was the only thing I was ever born to do. It’s so erotic and the feeling of it all; kinda feels like the arousal I can feel from you right now…” I trailed off, biting my lip as I turned to him; the heat between my legs intensified as I placed my hand in his lap, kneading and massaging his thigh much more thoroughly than my foot had earlier. The bulge in his jeans grew and his Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed around the pure, intoxicating heat in the car.

“Are you trying to make me crash this car? Stiles, you said we’re gonna wait, but you’re making a month seem like a devastatingly long time.” I could see his beta form shining through, and his eyes burned like molten gold; I grinned, biting my lip.

“Sorry; you asked for it!” A shockingly girly giggle escaped my lips and I closed over the box of food in my lap, putting it on the backseat again; I bit my lip as we pulled into another parking lot that wasn’t much to be desired, but the building that it catered to screamed beauty and time.

“What is this place? It’s beautiful…” I climbed out of the car with him and our hands joined as we met in front of the car.

“It’s a botanical garden, but we’ve gotta go inside like, right now, because it’s supposedly the greatest thing you’ll ever witness if you see the sun setting through the windows.” He steered us inside and we were instantly bombarded with the thick, heavy floral scent that I had come to associate with Derek’s dad; the front of the building looked like a large, gothic, Victorian mansion, but walking through the doors, all I could see was glass. The high ceiling and most of the walls were completely made of glass, condensation dewed across every pane of glass and the setting sun glistened through, twinkling in a golden haze in every dew drop.

“Wow; Derek this is amazing!” I pulled him forward, inhaling the heated sweetness in the air.

“Yeah, my dad suggested I bring you here, but I’ve gotta be honest; I have no idea what I’m looking at.” He smirked down at me, in that profoundly _Derek Hale_ way, and I grinned, pulling him towards the flowers and wildly growing plants I knew.

“Well, here’s a hibiscus, _oh_ , this is a Chinese lantern plant, and this is a fern, and one of my favourites; honeysuckle, honeysuckle is one of my favourites. It smells beautiful, here take a whiff,” I leaned up, inhaling the sticky sweet scent of the honeysuckle tree above us.

We walked around the botanical garden for what felt like hours, until the sun was completely set and the stars twinkled like tiny fairy lights above; when we climbed back into the car, I twined our fingers together over the console as he started driving. We both smelled like the humid floral garden and the smell filled the car.

“Final destination; where will it be? Where will he take me? _You decide_!” I grinned at my terrible imitation of a game show host; Derek chuckled beside me and his hand tightened around mine. I closed my eyes, letting the soothing music on the radio lull me into an almost-sleep.

“How do you feel about the stars?”

“Hmm… well, they’re up there, but they’re not… you get me? I mean, we’re like thousands or millions of years late to actually say we’re _looking_ at the stars; we’re merely watching a ghost of what they used to be. But I like the stars; they’re something you can look up at and you know that just like us, they’re gonna stop shining someday too… and that conversation just became hella depressing! What’s your favourite colour?” I kept my eyes shut, hoping he wouldn’t notice my blush.

“Uh, probably blue; it’s a calming colour, you?”

“Orange; it’s a nice bright colour, I mean, I like red too, and they’re both kinda similar, but orange is like, so strange. ‘Cause it’s not only a colour, but it’s a fruit too; it’s a bit unimaginative, but I digress.”

“Orange and blue… kinda random, but it works.”

“I guess. I like blue too; blue is pretty.”

“You know what we never did?” He asked, and I opened my eyes, looking over at him questioningly.

“No, what didn’t we do?”

“That game I mentioned earlier, but you didn’t let me tell you what the game actually is?”

“Oh, yeah, sorry about that; what game is it?”

“Everybody’s heard of it; it’s just twenty questions. It’s childish but it’s a great game to play on a first date; I mean, we’ve been talking and texting all week, but we still don’t know the nitty-gritty details about each other. So, I suggest you ask me a question, I’ll answer with the gods’ honest truth, then I ask you and the process repeats; you in?” He smirked over at me as we turned onto a long, winding side road; we were definitely back in Beacon Hills, and judging by the tall canopy of trees above us, we were probably in the preserve, on one of the higher hills.

“Sure, um… favourite food?”

“I love BBQ food. What annoys you the most in the world?”

“Oh, that’s tricky; I’d have to say, people who stand in a crowd in the middle of the sidewalk, I hate it, like, it’s _so_ rude! Hmm… what turns you on?” I smirked as his hand slipped out of mine; he switched gear and found my hand again.

“I feel like my entire future is riding on this answer, um… a massive turn on for me would probably be seeing a girl in her natural state; like, just being with a girl when all wear wearing is sweat pants and maybe she’s wearing one of my shirts, so it’s like, huge on her. She’s not wearing makeup, and she hasn’t done anything fancy with her hair… and I’m getting carried away here. What’s the most embarrassing thing you’ve ever been caught doing?” I bit my lip, imagining the moment he created with his words.

“Well, on the morning of my seventeenth birthday last year, I was up early and feeling a little adventurous, so I was rubbing one out, and I was so, _so_ close, then I don’t know what happened, but I guess Scott and my friends thought it would be a great idea to get my mom and dad up at a stupid ass time, and… well, they burst into my room, completely unannounced; they all knew what I was doing, so I just hid under the covers ‘til they all left the room. It was the single most embarrassing moment of my life, and I mean, it wouldn’t have been as bad if it was just my friends, but the fact that my _dad_ , the _Sheriff_ , of all people, saw me on the brink of an orgasm; it was horrible and I will _never_ forgive them for it.” I looked over at him and his shoulders shook with laughter while a broad smirk adorned his lips. “PDA, yes or no?”

“You already know I’m an arrogant prick, and that won’t change, so if I’ve got a fine piece of arm candy, I’m gonna show the world that she’s _all_ mine.” A bark of laughter came from my lips and I waited for his question. “Do you have any piercings or tattoos, other than your natural markings?”

“My bellybutton is pierced; Erica made me get it when she got hers done. No tattoos, as of yet, but I’m planning on getting a triskelion for my birthday this year; I still wear the necklace your parents got me for my fourteenth birthday, but I guess I just want something a little more permanent and less breakable. Are you a morning person?”

“Definitely not; my roommate in college says I’m like an angry bear when I wake up, Cora and Laura could probably get a lot more graphic than that. Name the five most important things in your life.”

I took a second to think that one through, prioritising my life; it was no easy task. Only then did I realise that the car had stopped and we were surrounded by tall, looming trees, “I can’t go hiking in the woods; I’ve got heels on, Derek.”

“Don’t worry; it’s not a long walk at all and I’ll carry you, or give you a piggy back. Whatever you prefer?” He smiled across at me, with a glint of what seemed almost challenging in his eyes.

“Piggy back ride sounds  perfect, but note; offering one piggy back is offering a lifetime of piggy backs, on demand.” I grinned and he got out of the car; I rushed to open the door, but he still managed to open it before me, holding out a smug hand that I grudgingly took. He walked me to the edge of the trees and stopped, raising his thick, expressive eyebrows at me; I looked down, hiding my smile as I slipped my shoes off. I ran back to the car and put them on the floor before hopping onto Derek’s firm back; he made sure I had my arms wrapped around his neck and my legs tightly holding onto his waist before he slipped his hands around my thighs and took off into the woods.

True to his word, he ran for less than five minutes before stopping in a clearing that completely took my breath away; the clearing opened up to a cliff that overlooked the entire town of Beacon Hills, glowing yellow dots scattered around. Set back a little from the cliff was a tartan picnic blanket that I knew all too well, complete with a small camping lantern and a few fluffy looking pillows?

“Oh my- god… Derek…”

“C’mon, let’s sit down, get comfy.” I jumped down off his back and took his hand, sprinting over to the blanket; I slumped down on it, pulling Derek down with me so his head hit the pillows. I smirked down at him, leaning up on my elbow so I could press a soft, teasing kiss to his lips; he pushed forward, expecting more, but I pushed lightly at his shoulder, keeping him down without using any real force.

“Five most important things in my life; my parents,” I pressed another kiss to his pouting lips, “my friends and pack,” I dropped a kiss on his jaw, feeling his stubble scratch across my cheek, “Anakin,” I nibbled on the crook of his jaw and neck, “Beacon Hills; it’ll soon be my job to protect it and I wouldn’t have it any other way,” I smirked, rolling my tongue up his neck, tongue rising as it came into contact with his Adam’s apple, “and finally, my beastiary; it’s my lifeline to everything I know and it connects my soul to Beacon Hills. You know, I have to use my own blood to make the ink for that beastiary; it’s disgusting, but I have to do it.” I sucked and nipped a dark hickey into his neck and leaned back to watch it quickly disappear. “But, _you_ have always been in a completely different league to everything else; you’re my mate and as selfish as it sounds, you come before _everything_ else, no matter what.”

“That’s- wow, I can’t… how do I reply to that? Is there a correct answer?” He looked up at me, unsure but fond and I laughed lightly, cupping his jaw with my free hand, I stared down into his eyes and just smiled.

“No, there’s no correct answer, because it wasn’t a question.”

We spent a little over an hour, continuing our game of twenty questions and making out; I’d love to say that when the clock struck twelve, I had to dash away, but in actuality, we packed up and he drove me home at eleven-forty and had me home before midnight. He walked me up the drive and to the door, and left me with a chaste, teasing goodnight kiss before I watched him get into the Camaro and drive back home.

I flung myself down onto my bed when I got to my room and squealed into a pillow, thrashing my legs in pure, buzzing energy; I couldn’t possibly calm myself, so I set myself up at my computer and prepared myself to tell Lydia and the guys’ _everything_.

Best first date _EVER_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to note that this chapter took so long because it is 20 microsoft word pages (in Calibri size 12) and is 11,710 words long, so I'm SUPER proud of this accomplishment!  
> Anyhoo, thank you so so sooo much for reading; I look forward to seeing what you think because every opinion counts and every comment/kudos truly makes my day.  
> Thanks again, and I promise to write more often now that school is over :D


	6. Fail to Prepare, Prepare to Fail

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kinda just a filler to be honest, but I still liked the humour in it.  
> Stiles has a nice talk with her mom.  
> She gets some much-needed counseling from Lydia, Allison, Scott and Isaac.  
> She also loses concentration just long enough to ruin Lydia's plans for Stiles' birthday.

I had debated myself in and out of having this conversation; one side of my brain told me that I didn’t have to come to my mom for this, but the other side told me that she would feel a hell of a lot better knowing I was being safe. The morally right side won, so I knocked gently on my parent’s bedroom door and pushed it open slowly.

“Mom?” I asked, looking around to see her sitting at her vanity with curlers in her hair and her tablet in her hands; she pressed pause on her game of Angry Birds and turned to me with a bright, open smile.

“Yes, sweety?” I bit my lip, rethinking the entire conversation I had planned; my mom was the kind of woman you could go to with _anything_ and get an open, no-bullshit response from, but that didn’t mean it wouldn’t be the most awkward conversation on my behalf.

“I uh, I was wondering if I could talk to you about something… important? I mean, I need to ask you something in all seriousness…” I sat down on the bed, watching my thumbs twiddling in my lap.

“Go ahead, what can I do for you?”

“Well- um, I’m at a stage in my relationship with Derek, and I- I was kinda- sorta… wondering… hoping… that maybe you could- come with me to the gynaecologist so I can, y’know- get birth control?” I stuttered and stammered over my words, drying my clammy palms on my jeans.

“Sure, honey, why are you so nervous? I’ll call my gynaecologist when I get these curlers out and see when she can fit you in. I’m so proud of you for coming to me with this, and I’m glad you’re taking necessary precautions, although the two of you have only been together for what? Three weeks? He isn’t… pressuring you to have sex, is he?” She asked and I looked up at her, shocked, because I had not thought about her asking that; the thought hadn’t crossed my mind at all.

“No! Of course not; no way, mom, and we’re waiting ‘til my birthday so it’s, y’know, legal. But no, definitely no pressure and thank you for being so cool about this; you’re the best. Oh, and _please_ , I know you’re all about no lying, but don’t tell dad; I don’t think I could handle him _knowing_ , he wouldn’t understand.” I stood up, smiling as my mom mirrored the action; she pulled me into her arms and pressed a kiss to my cheek. I snuggled into my mom’s arms, breathing in her floral perfume; I don’t know what the hell I’d do without my mom, because I love my dad, but there’s no way in any universe I could ever talk to him about this kind of thing.

“Good; I was just making sure, and of course, this conversation is strictly between you and me, and whomever you decide to tell. My lips are sealed; now, I see you’re in your jogging clothes, so I assume you’re going for a jog?” I nodded and she smiled, “Then I’ll see you at the pack house in a few hours; I’ve got errands to run but I’ll be there for our yoga session and I’ll bring your beastiary with me. We’re get you fluid on human-animal communication, because I know we’ve put it on the back-burner so far, but I definitely think it’s time to get fluent with it. See you later, darling, have a nice run.” She left the room, continuing to mumble to herself about the crap she had to do.

“See ya’” I called out to her, leaving the house for my morning jog. I felt better, knowing my mom was okay with what I asked, and I felt safer knowing I wouldn’t have to go on my own.

***

“Guys, I’ve got a dilemma and I _seriously_ need your help!” I gushed, barging into Lydia’s bedroom with panic practically radiating off of me. Allison was sprawled across Lydia’s bed with her wild array of coloured post-it notes in front of her, ‘studying’ while her phone just so happened to be open on Twitter beside her; Lydia on the other hand was rifling through her closet, grumbling and sighing, until I walked in, she now looked at me expectantly with her hands on her hips. Her sass levels were through the roof, only beating Peter by a millimetre to the title of ‘Sass Master’.

“What is it this time, you failure of a female specimen?” Lydia barked and Allison’s leg thrashed out, kicking Lydia in the thigh.

“Well, as you know, my birthday is in a couple days, and I convinced my mom that if I go in to school on the day of my birthday and allow you guys’ full reign on whatever it is you’re already planning, then I could have the day after – Wednesday – off school to spend with Derek so we can finally… _do it_. But I have absolutely no idea what to do; I have no experience and I know porn is unrealistic, so _please_ , I need help!” I worried at my lip, sitting on the seat in front of Lydia’s vanity, tapping my knee worriedly.

“What is it exactly that you need help with?” Allison asked as she sat up and wrapped her arms around Lydia’s waist, propping her chin on Lydia’s shoulder.

“All of it! I mean; what do I wear? How do I make sure it’s… _good_ for him? Are there rules or regulations? I’m a virgin; how much is this going to hurt? Will there be blood? What the actual _fuck_ am I doing?!” I dragged my fingers down my face, devastation of my situation showing clearly on my face.

“Our knowledge of _male_ pleasure is extremely limited, so we’re going to need a little backup for this lesson in love.” Lydia picked up her phone and I sighed, drifting back into my own thoughts for a while.

I didn’t want to be bad for him and I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I did something _wrong_. I know I should probably go to him to talk about this, and I will if I still don’t feel optimistic by Wednesday, but I had to consult my friends first, because if I voiced my worries with Derek, he’d want to put off having sex for fuck knows how long, and I definitely don’t want that.

I looked up to the door as it opened again, revealing my grinning best friend and his curly haired boyfriend, “What are they doing here?” I asked, watching them roll their eyes as if the answer were obvious.

“I’m sorry, we can totally leave you in your time of sexual crisis if you’re gonna be a sassy little shit! We’re here to help with the stuff they can’t tell you.” Isaac grinned, shoving Scott over to the bed; he took a seat at Lydia’s desk, looking over at Lydia expectantly.

“Alright, Stiles, welcome to what I’m officially going to call Lessons in Pleasure 101; Allison and myself are going to teach you how to make sure _you_ are receiving optimal pleasure, although I’m pretty sure a guy with as much experience as Derek knows exactly what he’s doing with a woman, but nonetheless, we’re gonna give you some tips and tricks to make it spectacular. On the opposite hand of the scales; Scott and Isaac are going to teach you exactly how to turn Derek into a quivering puddle of goo.” Lydia stood in front of me, grinning in that way she does when she has a plan.

“God, you sure do create a vivid image…” I grumbled; I crossed my arms and raised my brow at them.

“How about we start?” Isaac asked, smirking; Lydia scoffed and looked over at him, hip cocked to the side with a hand resting on it, her face showed utter defiance.

“Oh, you two should start, huh? Because male pleasure comes before female pleasure? Yeah, right; I don’t think so!” She barked at Isaac and I hid my smirk as Scott and Allison tried to mask their giggling; it was no secret that Isaac and Lydia didn’t exactly get along, and I think it’s just because they’re on a constant struggle to out-sass each other.

“Jeez, it was only a suggestion; go ahead and talk about vaginas, it’s not like Scott and I have anywhere to be.” Isaac rolled his eyes, with his arms crossed, and he glared down at his dark blue scarf.

“Can you two _not_?” I looked between them, arms flailing; I was having a sexual meltdown and they’re just sitting there bickering?

“What, me and Scott? Knotting is definitely a thing, but the wolf has to be in the baby-making mood and I suppose that important piece of information can wait ‘til _Lydia_ and Allison have said their piece.” Isaac watched between Lydia and me as my face dropped; I hadn’t been worried about such a thing actually happing, but holy crap did it scare me.

“Holy shit… that’s- I mean- uh… wow; I was _not_ expecting _that_ to be a thing.” I stared at my sneakers, worrying at my lips as my friends waited patiently for me.

“Well, now I’m intrigued; you two can go first, _not_ because male stimulation is more important than female stimulation, but because _knotting_ is definitely something Stiles needs to be completely informed on.” Lydia began playing with Allison’s hair absentmindedly while we all looked towards Isaac and Scott; Scott watched Isaac pleadingly and Isaac rolled his eyes, sitting up straight, ready for business.

“Alrighty then, let’s teach!” Isaac grinned, turning his bright blue eyes on me with a glint behind his aqua pools that told me I should probably be _very_ afraid.

***

Today was a strenuous test to my magic and skills; it had started with some simple meditation and yoga, which had positioned me into a one armed handstand with one knee bent at a ninety degree angle and my foot pressing into the opposite knee. It was in this position that my mom and Talia had instructed to hold; after a few minutes of deep calming breaths, the balance came easily and I drew power from the fresh-cut grass beneath my right hand as I breathed in the scents of nature in the air.

“You’re doing brilliantly, now, I want you to lift your left hand and with your hand, I want to see your entire body lift, understand?” My mom asked, her usual ‘mom’ voice was replaced by the firm, assertive voice of a teacher and mentor.

I nodded slightly and moved my left hand from where it lay parallel down my side. With all the concentration I had, I grazed the grass gently with my fingertips and focussed the power I harnessed from the earth into the lifting of my left hand; with the hand, my body – shakily and unsteady, I must add – began to rise, agonisingly slow, but a heavy sweat dampened the surface of my body and I panted in the exertion of strength.

Honing in the Zen mind set I had accomplished perfectly years before this, I continued to lift my left arm until it once again lay parallel to my body; I mirrored the action with my right hand, now hovering a good two or three feet off the ground.

My breathing deepened and I joined my hands at my abdomen, slowly raising them to my chest so that my arms rested in a parallel line; keeping my breathing steady, I lengthened my arms, stretching them down with my hands still joined loosely in an upside-down imitation of the vriksasana, or tree, yoga pose.

“Ly, that is _fantastic_ ; you’re getting _much_ better at that. You can release yourself whenever you’re ready.” As soon as the words left my mother’s mouth, I grinned, relaxing without thinking the action through, and my body crumpled to the ground, shoulder cracking and a sickening way that made my stomach twist and turn with nausea; the mangled cry that left my lips even hurt my ears, so I knew for a fact that every wolf in a ten mile radius would have heard it ripping through my lungs. Meaning my already protective mate was quickly tumbling down the porch steps to the Hale’s backyard, panic and fear oozing off of him like a tidal wave.

“Stiles, what have we told you about focus-” Talia’s words were cut off by the menacing growl that came from her son; he threw himself down onto his knees beside me as I crawled out of the awkward position, whining with fat tears streaking down my face.

“Really not the time for retribution, mom!” Derek barked at his alpha, to her great shock, while his hands ghosted over my body; I nodded my head to my right shoulder and with a gentle touch, he flinched back, feeling the searing pain of a dislocated shoulder.

“Is it broken?” He asked, concern in his tone reaching up to his hazel eyes.

“Babe, you can’t break a shoulder; it’s dislocated, so hold my hand while my mom pops it back into place, yeah?” I held out my left hand as my right throbbed on the prickly grass; he took it instantly and leeched away as much pain as he could without passing out himself.

“You sure you don’t want to go to a hospital for that, honey?” My mom questioned as she kneeled beside me, inspecting my shoulder that sat at a strange angle.

“No, I most certainly do _not_ want to go to a hospital; I mean, how hard can it be? Just pop it back into place and can somebody _please_ get me something strong to drink, because I swear to the gods and goddesses, I am going to _fucking_ pass out soon! _Sukinsyn,_ to jest _bzdura!_ And an ice pack, that would also be nice…” I trailed off, my use of colourful words in Polish drew a small, amused smirk from my mother, but the tears running down my face seemed to sober her up instantly. Biting my lip and burying my face in Derek’s warm chest as the pain intensified with every passing second; I could feel Derek panting with the effort of leeching the pain away.

“Okay baby, okay, matka’s gonna fix it, okay? Just you keep looking that way; if you’re anything like your father when he dislocated his shoulder, you’re gonna need that drink.” She continued to mutter a wild array of nonsense in both English and Polish to distract me while her hands gently look hold of my right arm. With every movement pain shot down my arm, electrifying my fingertips, whilst also zapping down my side, weaving between each rib teasingly lacing pain across the right side of my entire torso.

“Matka, _please_ , get it- _over_ with!” I cried before Derek’s body tensed and my mom’s skilful hand shoved my shoulder back into its socket roughly; a piercing, agonising squeal of pain tore through my and I tensed into Derek’s strong hold while my mom soothed a hand through my tied-up hair when she placed my arm tenderly into my lap.

“There you go, kochanie, it’s all over now, and Cora’s got a little something to ease the pain, here, c’mon and drink this.” I turned slightly and Derek eased me onto his lap gently; Cora had joined my mom, sitting cross-legged on the grass and held out a glass out towards me, generously filled halfway with the sloshing golden nectar that I yearned to take the pain away with. I took it greedily and downed the entire thing in three long gulps, accepting the scolding burn that clouded within my chest.

“Can I just say, you owe like, ten dollars to the swear jar simply for swearing in more than one language; it’s badass and all, but if _I_ have to put a dollar in the swear jar then so do you! It’s only fair!” Cora grinned, pressing an ice cold compress to my throbbing shoulder.

“You will _never_ know the pain of a dislocated shoulder, you werewhore, with your supernaturally fucking annoying healing; get me another drink before I throw up on you!” I glared at her, snuggling further into Derek while Cora grudgingly snatched the glass out of my hand.

“Lysianassa, I think you’ve had enough to drink, don’t you think? It’s not even two in the afternoon yet, and need I remind you that you aren’t eighteen for another two days; your father is a man of the law, but then again, when has that stopped you from doing _anything_ before?” My mom rolled her eyes, leaving us on the grass with Talia, muttering about getting some herbal pain remedies cooked up with Theo.

“You okay?” Derek nuzzled my neck as his arms wormed around my waist; I bared my neck for him to show him that yes, I would indeed survive this encounter with death.

“It’d take a lot more than a busted shoulder to stop me. I really hope this stops hurting by Tuesday, otherwise, I’m gonna be _so_ pissed.” I grumbled, “Help me up; I want tea, and you bet your ass I need you to kiss my face off before I pass out.”

His arm slipped under my knees and the other around my back before he lifted me, bridal style, and I hissed, pulling my right arm closer to my body as he started walking as gently as I suppose a fully grown werewolf could, but it still jostled my arm and hurt like a mother fuck.

“I’m sorry, Stiles, why aren’t you let me take your pain?” He questioned, entering the house cautiously; with his question, I realised that I had been guarding my pain from him, and for good reason. I rolled my eyes, “Just put me down; I can walk y’know, and I don’t need you to take away any pain, as kind and thoughtful as that is. I’ve got something to help with the pain in my bag and I’m just gonna chill, okay?” I gave him no other option as I began to carefully wiggle in his arms; he set me down on my feet and I skipped into the kitchen.

“Greetings my woodland friends, the big Stilinski survives again; you can’t get rid of me that easily! So how long does it take to recover from a dislocated shoulder, because you know Lydia will _destroy_ me if I can’t get on whatever stupid ass dress she’s going to force me into?” I sat down at the breakfast bar and looked around; finding my school bag lying beside the door, I reached out my left hand and with a quickly clenched fist, the bag slid across the floor and bumped roughly against the legs of the stool.

I leaned down and picked it up, setting it on my lap, I pulled out a packet of the painkillers I usually use for cramps; popping two in my mouth, I swallowed them dry and dropped the bag to the floor. I looked up at the people in the room and grinned, feeling the pills slowly drag down my throat.

“What’re you looking at?” I asked, raising my eyebrows, and my mom came over to me with my stormtrooper mug in hand; I took it from her in my left hand as she looked at my shoulder, concern weighing in the air heavily from every pair of eyes.

“Stiles, this is bruising pretty badly already, I really think I should take you to a doctor…” My mom touched my shoulder lightly and I flinched away, scowling at her hand like it personally offended me; the pain intensified at her touch and I sighed, taking a sip of tea. It was chamomile; meant to relax and soothe.

“I don’t want to see a doctor; I just want to _chill_. It’s in the socket, the pain meds are gonna kick in any moment, so let sleeping dogs lie.” I shot her a small, sarcastic smile and sipped on my tea pointedly, making annoyingly loud slurping noises.

“Don’t you sass me, young lady; I’m letting you stay off school on Wednesday and I can take that away just as quickly as I agreed to it. Do you want me to give you ride home or are you good?” She asked, hands on hip, chocolate curls whipping over her shoulder.

“Sorry, mom; and yeah, I think I need to just sleep it off before school… shit, how am I going to write if my shoulder’s still pretty busted up? I’m right handed, mom!” I looked at her in slight panic, but with a hint of hope that I knew everybody in the room could read loud and clear.

“I’ll write you a note if it still hurts and you can take your laptop to type instead; how does that sound?”

“Ugh, shitty, that’s how that sounds; why does this kind of thing _always_ happen to me? I mean, Scott gets bitten by an alpha; I get a sprained ankle and three days bed rest, my arch enemy gets turned into a Kanima, and I get paralysed _twice_ , Laura falls into bed with a siren and _I_ almost drown to death. What is my life?” I groaned, downing the rest of my tea before slinging my bag over my left shoulder and cradling my right arm to my chest carefully.

“Don’t I get a kiss goodbye?” Derek smirked and I grinned as he puckered his lips and closed his eyes tightly, tapping his lips with an index finger; I rolled my eyes and licked from his jaw to his temple, giggling when his face twisted, confused. “The fuck was that?” He grumbled, opening his eyes with a frowning brow.

“That, my dearest, handsome mate, was my tongue on your face, and this” I pecked his lips, “is your goodbye kiss. So goodbye Derek, goodbye Hale family; I will see you when I see you.” I winked at Derek, knowing he would probably be climbing in through my bedroom window later when I finally get to be alone.

“See you later Stiles, and I hope you’re feeling better by Tuesday; go easy on that shoulder alright.” Talia called as I followed after my mom; the pain was slowly residing to a strange kind of numbness, but that didn’t draw from the fact that I was scared to actually look down at my shoulder. If what my mom had said about my shoulder was true, then it was going to be one hell of a sight when I actually do get the balls to look at it.

The thing I was more scared about was the fact that heavy bruising would not go down in a couple days; I was stuck with an ugly shoulder for at least a week or two, which meant I wasn’t exactly going to look _perfect_ for Derek on Wednesday. The thought had my skin prickling with anger at myself; this was my fault, once again, so I really couldn’t blame anyone else for my own idiocy.

With the way things are going, I’m going to be a virgin for the rest of my life; if I live that long in the first place.


	7. Birthday Body Shots

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Stiles' 18th birthday, what more is there to say?  
> Lydia is being Lydia as usual.  
> Derek is a cute mother fucker.  
> That's all you need to know!

Lydia may be a banshee, but I much preferred to call her a blood-sucking, life taking demon because she’s 100% evil and I will not take no for an answer on this topic; Lydia simply enjoyed my pain and embarrassment.

That’s why Lydia, Allison, Erica, Cora, Laura and I sat in salon chairs receiving manicures and pedicures, after I had received a full body wax and a haircut that really just trimmed the split ends, but still; girly shit irks me sometimes.

“You’ll thank me on Thursday after your saucy day with Lover Boy, trust me.” Lydia smirked, giggling along with Allison and Erica while Cora and Laura exchanged a glance that clearly read ‘they’re talking about our brother’s sexy times; what do we do?’

“No, Lydia, I’m thankful; I really am, but that doesn’t stop this whole day from being annoying. I mean, why won’t you tell me what we’re doing tonight? Should I be worried? Does it involve a stripper? Does it involve _me_ stripping?” I eyed Lydia warily, but she shook her head, focussing on the woman painting her toenails; I looked down at the women working on my fingernails and toenails. It looked like a simple French manicure on my toenails, but the fingernails were a whole other story; the woman had my nails covered in some kind of foil while she built up some sticky looking gel on top. On the nails she had already completed, sharp looking claws were attached to my nails, looking kinda dangerous; a part of me liked the thought of it, looking dangerous, because nobody had ever commented or remarked on how dangerous I am. I’m always just Stiles, I mean sure, I’m a nymph, but only the dire few actually know that; there was a definite animalistic, werewolf property to the nails, which I simply had to grin at. For false nails, they felt rather empowering.

After the beautician finished the nails and let them dry, she began painting the nails, I stared intently at the matt navy colour as it dried; the sharp, claw like nails were a little less than an inch long and looked a lot less dangerous than actual werewolf claws. She then began painting more detail onto the ring finger of both hands. Lydia kept peeking over not so subtly and grinning, so when she finished the paint on my right hand, I lifted it up and looked down at the design she had made; it was a beautiful pearly/glittery full moon with the black silhouette of a howling wolf.

I had never seen my hands looking so soft and feminine before, and the worst part is that they actually looked really good; Derek, for the past couple weeks had half-heartedly complained about the oral fixation I had and how my hands were like finger-porn. He wasn’t complaining about _me_ per-se, more just the fact that he couldn’t actually do anything about the finger-porn in front of him.

Well now he could; my mom and dad had woken me up with birthday pancakes and an overly excited group of friends in the living room. Scott, Isaac, Lydia, Allison, Erica, Boyd, Cora and Laura had been waiting for me with the cutely wrapped gifts my mom and dad got me. They got me a full check-up for my jeep – which was long overdue – a new Mets jersey with ‘Stilinski’ and ‘24’ on the back, which I obviously wore to school, and a new phone, because I broke my last one when I used a little too much electric power in a spell. Let’s just say the phone was completely fried, but Danny, the miracle worker that he is, managed to get all my pictures off of it.

Then, as the pack – my friends – left, Derek rushed in, sweaty and tired looking, and he insisted on driving me to school because he was late; I had absolutely no objections, and Lydia seemed to agree with it, because she could then drop me back home after she took me ‘somewhere special’.

‘Somewhere special’ turned out to be the beauty salon that she and the rest of the girls’ frequented. I felt like a true girly-girl, especially when I sat in the salon chair and had giant curlers nestled against my head that, when taken out, left my hair flowing in large, wavy curls down to the middle of my back.

Laura, Cora and Erica were all quite antsy and excited, due to the full moon tonight and the fact that Lydia has told _everybody_ but me what she has planned for tonight; I really don’t like being out of the loop, so the secrets were really starting to get to me.

“It’s like, almost five; how much longer are we gonna be?” I asked, rolling my eyes over to Lydia.

“Not too much longer; we’re just waiting for the nails to dry, then I need to stop by my house to pick up your dress. I’ll have you home for five-thirty; I’ll put on a _little_ makeup since you said Derek doesn’t like it all that much, and then I’m sure you can dress yourself without my guidance. I’ll go home, get myself ready, I’ve instructed Derek to pick you up at exactly eight; he knows where to go, and do _not_ ask him where you’re going or what you’re doing because I have threatened certain organs that are necessary for Wednesday if he tells you _anything_ , comprende?” Lydia snapped, her evil death glare of evilness bore into me and I shook my head, turning back to watch the paint on my fingers dry.

I reached for my phone, but Erica, who sat to my left, slapped my fingers away; her own nails were painted a fierce blood red and I distinctly remember her saying something about a leopard print dress and red heels, along with her trusted leather jacket.

“You’ll ruin your nails if you touch anything, so do us all a favour and _don’t touch anything_!” Erica barked, thumbing through my new phone as if she owned the damn thing herself.

“Ugh, what the hell else am I supposed to do then?”

“You could talk, I mean; besides coming here to make us even more completely and utterly beautiful, normal girls come here to talk and gossip, and bitch. So; talk, bitch!” Lydia grinned from my right and I rolled my eyes; Lydia really could bitch for the whole country when you get her started. Then again, all of the women surrounding me could.

“I’d rather play video games to be honest; I’m not great at bitching unless I really hate someone, and my mom’s really against the word ‘hate’ in general, so… yeah, you guys’ can gossip and I’ll listen. Erica gimme my phone back!” I grumbled, holding one clawed hand out towards her; a mischievous glint entered her eyes and I sighed, rolling my eyes.

“Why; you got nudies on here? I know for a fact you’ve got all your pics from your old phone; I was there when you asked Danny to get all of ‘em back!” I watched in horror as Erica opened up my picture gallery; she was right, there were some pictures on that phone that I had possibly sent to Derek in a lonely fit of confidence a couple nights ago.

“Find them now Erica!” Cora cried from the tanning bed she lay in, glowing blue with the lights; the curtain that would usually separate the tanner from the other customers had been left open and Cora’s boobs were proudly on show for the empty salon to see. She had moved to the tanning bed about twenty minutes ago and insisted on leaving the curtains open so she wasn’t disconnected from the group.

“Oh my gosh, she does have nudes… but Cora, you don’t wanna see this; Derek sent some back!” Erica had found the pictures that I had satisfied myself with since receiving them, and now she was tossing the phone over to Lydia, who caught it perfectly and examined the row of both Derek and my own nude pictures. Admittedly, the ones I sent were strictly a long body shot that was taken from the angle of my chin, looking down the narrow panes of my body, with a thin pair of panties on, whilst lying down on my bed, along with another one – a selfie – showing from the bottom of my boobs to the top of my head. My hair hung down my shoulders and I had my index fingertip clasped tightly between my teeth, looking at the camera with the largest ‘doe-eyes’ I could muster.

Derek had mirrored the first one, showing off the vast expanse of his perfect chest, dusted with jet black curls that slinked down to a dark, thick happy trail, causing my mouth to water, and the large, half-mast tent in his soft looking grey boxer-briefs left my bottom lip bitten red and raw. The second had me ripping my soaking wet panties off before I could even put the phone down to think; he had taken the shot from below and looked like he was sat up against the headboard of his bed. His boxer-briefs had been moved down to show only his shaft and his strong hand grasped the base of his member, showcasing the thick, blue-purple veins that framed the girth of it; he was uncut and the head taunted me, causing a primal need to flare inside me as I did my best to bring myself over the edge.

Lydia and Allison looked from the pictures to me, calculating, and I rolled my eyes, heavy beet root red flush cascading down my cheeks and neck. Laura looked torn between embarrassing my and the horror of seeing her own brother’s package when Allison went to hand my phone to her, but her morals seemed to win, because she shook her head, shooting my an apologetic smile.

“Derek is one lucky man; I don’t understand how two perfect specimens as yourselves haven’t at least gotten to like, third base yet. I bet tomorrow couldn’t come quicker, huh?” Lydia smirked and I took my phone when she offered it to me; I instantly set a lock on the phone to prevent further situations like this from happening.

“Oh, Stiles, don’t act like you haven’t found Scott and Isaac’s nudies on Scott’s phone before, because I sure as hell have; listen, we’ve all been caught with nudies at some point, you’ve just gotta learn to erase the evidence after sexting. It’s like common knowledge!” Erica beamed and I closed my eyes, thumping my head back against the head rest.

“I hate you all! If _any_ of you so much as hint to Derek that you’ve seen his dick, I will kill you all! And I way to fucking embarrassed and pissed off right now to come up with a witty description of how I’m gonna do it; I’m just going to kill you, dammit!” I grumbled, looking down at my nails grumpily.

“Honey, I grew up with him; that boy was a streaker. There aint nothin in those pictures that I haven’t already seen.” Laura stuck her tongue out and I raised a speculative eyebrow.

“Pretty sure you haven’t seen it in all his fully-grown, manhood glory; it sure is a sight.” Erica was enjoying this even more with every inch I slid further down the chair.

“And _I_ am pretty sure Boyd wouldn’t be too happy to know you’ve seen Derek’s dick. Now, can we stop talking about said dick because I feel uncomfortable with this subject?” I groaned as the women who had been doing my nails came and checked everything; they seemed happy, so one of them handed me a pair of black flip-flops and the other offered a happy smile.

I waited another half an hour before everybody was done, showing Instagram and Tumblr my amazing new nails whilst also complaining about how nosey my friends are. I also spent the time texting the guys in the pack, because I had had enough girly interaction for one day.

**_From Scott_ ** **: feel for u dude!!! We’re all at Jackson’s; got a mega-LAN party going on!! Isaac had to go pee so we’re on break but me and Isaac are totally slaying their asses. Still zombies is no fun without you dude u kick ass with the ray gun XD**

**_From Derek_ ** **: can’t talk babe, sorry, got boring adult shit to do, but I can’t wait to see how beautiful you look tonight. P.S. Lydia is batshit crazy! X**

**_From Momaliscious_ ** **: You’re really pushing it for time, sweetie. I don’t know how long it’s going to take for you to get ready but remember you’re better off having time to waste than not enough time to get ready. Derek came by earlier and picked up that bag you packed for tomorrow ;)**

First of all, I had to respond to my mom, because that wink just implied far too much for me to feel comfortable with. Sure, I had asked her about birth control, and I had been taking the pill every morning for the past week with my Adderall, so I was definitely safe for tomorrow.

**_To Momaliscious_ ** **: Please, please, PLEASE never use a winky face when you’re texting me, mom, it’s creepy, especially in the way I think you meant it! I love you and we’ll be home soon; I think Lydia’s just paying or something. Wait til you see my nails they’re awesome! Although typing is a hassle; I have no idea how ‘wolves do this!!!**

**_To Scott_ ** **: I wish I could be playin zombies with you guys but Lydia’s holding me hostage… kinda; you sure you cant be persuaded to tell me what it is exactly we’re doing tonight?**

**_From Scott_ ** **: NOPE! NO! NEVER! Also, Lydia knew you’d beg me sooner or later so she didn’t actually tell me; she just told me a general idea, but I really cant say anything.**

**_To Scott_ ** **: Boo, you whore!**

**_To Derek_ ** **: oh, babe I’m sorry you’re an adult and I’ve got the easy life of an 18 yr old; it’s not like I’m swamped with college apps or deadlines or finals to study. And my mom’s really busting my ass about my concentration now; my shoulder still looked fucking horrible, it’s like, blue and black and purple and kinda yellow around the edges.**

**_To Derek_ ** **: I am not sexy!**

**_To Derek_ ** **: THIS IS A PROBLEM!!!!!!!!**

**_To Derek_ ** **: xxxxxxxxxxx**

**_From Derek_ ** **: Calm down Stiles; you’re beautiful and some bruises aren’t going to change my opinion of how sexy you are. Plus it can’t be that bad! X**

**_To Derek_ ** **: oh it is; it’s fucking terrible GAH this is a nightmare!!! FML!! …x**

**_From Derek_ ** **: stop being such a drama queen, okay? Your shoulder is perfectly fine by me as long as you’re healing. But like I said, I’m super busy, so I’ll see you at 8, don’t take too long; Lydia will kill me x**

Damn him and his rational thinking. I understood his need to know that I’m healing, but still, that doesn’t take away from the fact that where the skin on my shoulder wasn’t irritated and red, it was dotted with strange splotches of black, dark purple and a light, veiny blue, while the edges of the bruising were a nasty yellowing colour.

I physically couldn’t catch a break! Like, EVER!

I got into Lydia’s car with her and the others went their separate ways; Lydia drove us to her house, ran out with a white dress bag, stuffed it in the back and started driving again. We arrived at my house in no time, and my mom helped her carry a few things up to my room, saying I shouldn’t strain my shoulder too much; I called their bullshit but they thoroughly ignored me.

“Go clean your face; you showered this morning like I told you to, right?” Lydia asked and I nodded, already on the way to the bathroom. “Good; I’m gonna skip foundation because your skin is blemish-free, be thankful… mascara… lip-gloss… eyeshadow… what perfumes do you have?” She shouted to me and I rolled my eyes; I don’t really see the need for more than one.

“There should be one somewhere on my dresser!” I called back, joining her as I dried my face; I had almost taken my eyes out on those damn nails twice.

“One? How do you only use one perfume? You’ve gotta mix things up sometimes, Stiles! Although this does smell beautiful…” Lydia shoved me into the computer chair and took one of her over-priced bottles of moisturiser, applying it to my face.

“You’re gonna love tonight, trust me.” Lydia murmured as she began putting a light, sparkly eyeshadow on my eyelids; a scrape of sharp nails came from the door and I listened as Anakin nosed open the slightly ajar door. His cold, wet nose nudged my hand and I scratched behind his ear, earning a heavy back-leg-thumping.

“Are you going to take him to college with you?”

“Well, I wanna go to Beacon Hills Community College, so I can stay in Beacon Hills but still quench my intellectual thirst, so yeah, I’ll probably get an apartment close to the college and take him with me; I know I couldn’t go too far from Beacon Hills for too long. This place is where I draw my magic from; this is _my_ town, I just couldn’t leave even if I wanted to. What about you?” I asked, absentmindedly playing with Anakin’s ears.

“I’ve already been offered full scholarships for Berkeley, MIT and NYU; I’m leaning towards NYU because I love New York and I know the city like the back of my hand. My cousin lives there; he’s a super well-known fashion designer and I’ll probably room there if I choose NYU. I’m still undecided and there’s plenty time to choose; y’know, I’m all for flying from the nest and figuring out who you are, but you, Stiles, you I could never imagine anywhere other than Beacon Hills.” Lydia curled my lashes and applied eyeliner to my waterlines, and then added mascara to the top and bottom lashes. She then smeared a nude-pink lip-gloss on my lips and ordered me to rub my lips together; of course I did as she told me to.

“Okay, you look amazing; it’s now seven-twenty, I have to get ready, so I’m going to leave you to your own devices. Your dress is there, the shoes are there and I put the accessories in the box with the shoes; that should be everything, but if you think you’re missing something just text me. See ya’, Stiles!” Lydia gathered her things, pointing at the dress bag and shoe box on my bed, and left.

I sighed and jogged down the stairs, into the kitchen, to see my mom setting the table in the dining room. “What’s for dinner?”

“Lamb kebabs and Greek salad; found the recipe online and with your dad’s cholesterol, I really need to lay off the steak dinners. At least if there’s some kind of meat, he can’t complain too much.”

“Mom, you know kebabs are like, really fatty?”

“But they’re a step closer to actual healthy food; I think if we ease him into the healthy stuff, he won’t be as reluctant to eat it. Wow, you look great; much better without all the makeup. How did you get Lydia to ease up on the makeup?”

“Oh, well, she knows Derek doesn’t like it, and also knows all too well that you shouldn’t aggravate a wolf when it comes to their mate, so she pulled it back a little. I feel a lot better without it too; when’s dinner ready?” I wandered closer to my mom as she tossed the salad together.

“It’s ready; we’re just waiting for your dad. Here, put this on the table, and get the drinks out too.” She handed me the large bowl of Greek salad and I put it in the centre of the table. Grabbing the jug of lemonade my mom squeezed yesterday and three glasses; placing them around the table and filling the glasses, I sat down and closed my eyes, breathing deeply while I waited for my dad to get home.

As my breathing deepened and slowed, the natural scents and sounds of the preserve passed around me, the feeling of a slight summer breeze tickled the hair on my arms, the smell of pine needles and moss filled my nose and the gentle rush of a nearby river trickled past my ear, owl calls, the cricket’s love song; all senses flowing through me and back into the ground that I sensed around me.

Here, in Beacon Hills, in my preserve, I felt home. My heartbeat evened out to a sluggish rate, breathing came easy and pure, my limbs felt weightless, and… the loud step of my father’s footfalls on the laminate floorboards pulled me from my nirvana, dragging me back to the real world around me.

My mom stood in the archway to the kitchen, watching me with the slightest hint of a smile; my dad came waltzing in, placing a quick kiss to the top of my head, then pulling my mom into a long, disturbingly loud kiss that I forced myself to look away from. I couldn’t imagine a life without either of my parents, because they are so perfectly matched to each other, and they complement the aspects of which the other does not share, but that does not mean I want to see how well they actually _do_ complement each other because, ew; _gross_.

***

“So do my mom and dad know what we’re doing tonight?” I asked Derek from the passenger seat of the Camaro and his smirk broadened; I hadn’t stopped with the endless stream of questions in hope of him slipping up and telling me something, but it was like trying to draw blood from a rock. He wasn’t budging, the bastard.

“Of course they know; Lydia had to get the okay from them before she even told the rest of us, and she only told me the location yesterday so I knew where to take you. I’ve never known someone so secretive in all my life.”

“Oh and what a long life it has been!” I grinned and he shook his head, sending me a mocking glare.

“Mock all you want, but I’m still not telling you where we’re going or what we’re doing.”

“Boo, you whore!”

“For a girl who claims to hate chick flicks, you sure do quote _Mean Girls_ a lot.”

“That’s because _Mean Girls_ isn’t a damn chick flick; it’s the greatest movie since _Return of the Jedi_ and don’t act like you haven’t watched it a hundred times already anyway. We’re stopping! Where are we stopping? Where is this strange place? _What_ is this strange place?” I scurried out of the car as Derek parked in a half-way full parking lot, where I saw the cars of the rest of my friends in the ‘ _RESERVED_ ’ section.

Derek cut the engine and joined me as I buzzed on the spot, looking up at the large red brick building beside the parking lot. “Calm down and come on; I wasn’t expecting as many red lights so we’re kinda late. I’ve known your friends for less than a month but I already know Lydia is going to kill me if we’re another second late.”

He held out his elbow and I looped my own through his as he watched me, “Did I tell you, you look absolutely stunning?” He smiled, allowing me to see the full extent of his perfect bunny teeth and the rest of the pearly whites set around them. I looked down and smiled; I also had to admit that I looked good.

The dress I googled and the internet told me it’s a ‘bodycon’ dress, which hugged every curve of my body and stopped roughly mid-thigh; it had an extremely deep v-neck, showing the decent amount of cleavage that my push-up bra gave my modest C cups. The sleeves were long and went down to my knuckles, leaving cute little thumb holes that I had been playing with since I put the navy, sequinned dress on. Sequins covered the entire surface of the dress and I sparkled even in the dim streetlights and setting sun. Lydia had left a pair of platformed monstrosities that I hadn’t even attempted to try on, opting for a pair of navy high-top converse instead, and around my neck I wore my usual triskele necklace. The earrings Lydia gave me were dark blue teardrop shapes that dangled from my ears nicely.

I liked the outfit a lot more than the one I wore on my first date with Derek, although I did like that one, I just felt so much more like myself in this one. I also liked the fact that it showed off the considerable height difference between my mate and me.

“You did, but it doesn’t hurt to keep on saying it.” I grinned, stopping to pull him down into a light kiss; I kissed him at every chance I got lately, and I didn’t hear or see him complaining, so I kept on doing it. And I loved it.

We walked around to the front of the building and the sound of a loud bass beat from within the building told me it was a club; Derek took us straight to the front of the line outside the door and the giant of a bouncer took one look at Derek before smirking and holding the red rope open for us.

“Great to see you again, Derek; it’s been a while.” The bouncer called as we walked through the heavy looking door; Derek grinned at the men and women walking around with trays in hand and in the flickering lights I saw a new side of Derek Hale. He brofisted some people and gave others one armed hugs whilst still holding onto my hand; the hot pink, lime green, ruby red, neon blue and sunshine yellow lights danced across his skin and his beaming smile greeted everybody that turned to see him.

The thumping bass that the DJ played pounded in my heart and I grinned up at my mate, entranced by the flickers of colour in his eyes; he steered us towards the bar and looked at me with raised, questioning eyebrows. “What’s your poison, babe?” He shouted over the music.

“I’ll have a Naked Pirate.” I winked up at him and he grinned, throwing my order and his order of a double whiskey, and a beer over to the waiting bartender. It was obvious Derek was nothing less than a celebrity in this club, and it sent a jolt of excitement through me; you don’t become famous for nothing.

When he paid and we had our drinks in hand, we moved through the dancing crowd towards one of the booths lining the dance floor, climbing the couple of stairs to see Scott teaching Allison and Isaac how to bounce a coin off the table and into a shot glass, Lydia and Erica were talking animatedly over colourful martinis while Boyd, Jackson and Danny talked about lacrosse. Cora sat on her phone, texting, but as she looked up, she was the first to catch sight of Derek and myself joining them.

“Aye, the birthday girl’s here!” Cora screamed, jumping up to drag me into a bone crushing hug; I hugged her back, pulling my hand out of Derek’s as he joined Jackson, Boyd and Danny.

“Happy birthday, Stiles, you legal little bitch!” Erica cried in my ear as she took over from Cora, shoving the other shewolf away roughly. I was passed through my friends in hugs and shouts until I sat with them in the large booth, nestled between Scott and Derek protectively; they eyed every guy that passed our booth as if they were enemies. I rolled my eyes and looked at the large pile of gifts in the centre of the large round table that the soft leather bench curved around.

“Guys you shouldn’t have! This is far too much, but thank you _so_ much!” I chugged my drink and set the glass aside to pick up the first small box; the tag read that it was from Scott and I grinned at him, nudging his side with my elbow.

Tearing it open, I pulled open the black velvet box to see a brown plaited leather bracelet with a small charm hanging from it; on closer inspection, it was the small head of a howling wolf, showing little red crystals in its eyes. I grinned and pulled Scott into another hug, not needing words to express my happiness with his gift.

I then picked up the one from Isaac, who watched me in pure excitement and delight, with a slight glint of mischief; I opened it to see a Victoria’s Secret box and I felt a solid red blush creep up my neck and cheeks. I lifted the lid slightly but napped it shut at the first glimpse of red lace. I shot him a glare that held little heat and even that was ruined by the grin that broke across my face upon seeing the smirk on Isaac’s face that told me he had gotten the reaction he wanted.

Going through the gifts, I got a few girly articles of clothing from Lydia and Allison, as well as a scolding for not wearing the shoes Lydia got for my outfit; Erica, and in extension Boyd, got me a Batman snapback hat that I immediately had to put on and couple months of World of Warcraft membership that I was in desperate need of. Danny and Jackson came together to get me a few extremely fragile and old looking books on magic and folklore – Danny found the books and Jackson’s credit card obviously paid for the overpriced books – that would be extremely useful and would be gladly added to my slowly growing collection, since it took at least a year’s worth of my allowance – money for gas, unexpected car trouble and the odd binge buy aside – to buy one of these old books, so getting three in one go was orgasm-worthy for my inner nerdy magic-wielder.

I looked at the box Cora gave me and eyed her warily; she was known for her strange gifts. I tore the paper off and I couldn’t possibly move quick enough to shove the large box behind my back, heavy blush spreading across my chest, neck and cheeks as I settled a heavy glare on the culprit of this ‘gift’. The pack frowned, confused and Cora cackled manically, almost falling off the edge of the bench; the box was pulled free from behind my back and Scott pulled the rest of the paper off the box, revealing the 150 pack of XXL condoms to the rest of my friends.

I covered my face with my hands and leaned into Derek’s side, begging the ground to open up and swallow me. “Jeez, how much did these cost? Dude, that’s a great brand; I can barely afford the twelve packs of that brand!” Erica cried and I couldn’t help the giggle that escaped my lips, the queasy summersaults of my stomach calmed down and I looked at her through my fingers.

“Those’ll come in handy tomorrow.” Derek whispered in my ear, somehow managing to be heard over the loud music and I grinned up at him, shaking my head at his cocky smirk; I yanked the box out of Erica’s hands and added it to my pile of gifts on the table.

“Thank you Cora, but you could have warned me.” I shot over to her and she winked, downing another drink.

I looked back at the table as a waiter took the trash bag that the wrapping paper had been stuffed into, and picked up the last remaining bag, eyeing the back exterior and the black tissue paper that poked neatly out the top. I looked up at Derek once, watching him smile almost nervously and nod down at the bag; I bit my lip and pulled the tissue paper out, tossing it onto the table. I looked down at the stuffed creature and pulled it out to see a black, soft furred wolf with a cute stripe of silver down its chest; it was in a sitting pose and a bright red ribbon was tied neatly around its neck. As I smiled down at his yellowish-gold eyes, a green light reflected off of a small silver key that was on the ribbon around his neck.

With my eyes flying wide open, I pulled the bow open and tugged the key off the ribbon, holding it in the palm of my hand as I sat the wolf beside me in the booth. I looked from the key, to Derek, and back, a thousand questions zipping and swimming through my mind, none quite reaching my tongue.

“It’s not a ring, but it is one of the seals that solidify the mating bond; I’m giving you this key to my new apartment on the night of a full moon, with members of our pack as witnesses to the seal I wish to make with you tonight. I’m not saying you have to move in right away; I’m just saying that maybe I’m lazy and probably won’t feel like getting off my ass to answer the door… I know, I’m a real romantic; keep your panties on…” With a sudden sly glance down my body, he smirked, “Or don’t.”

Rolling my eyes, I took his hand using the one that held the key and leaned up to his lips, capturing him in a kiss that felt simply pure and bonding, yet so tantalisingly filthy and raw at the same time. The glowing burn of the key in our twined hands zipped up my arm and tickled the mate bond that I could feel in the region of my heart; the wolf whistles and cat calls from my friends made another soft blush tinge my cheekbones as Derek’s free hand cupped my jaw.

I pulled back slowly, grinning against his lips while he continued to place small pecks to my skin, travelling to my jaw where his scruff tickled my neck. When he buried his nose in the soft skin behind my ear, I allowed him to scent me, shamelessly petting the silky tufts of hair at the nape of his neck.

“Der-Bear, I’m guessing you’re probably taking me back to your apartment tonight, so you can save the scenting ‘til we don’t have an audience; human eyes watching, if you catch my drift.” There weren’t exactly people openly staring at us, but as a group of girls passed our booth, them leered at Derek’s open affection and giggled; I smirked back at them, winking.

He pulled back and I took the key out of the nest our hands created, slipping the key into my bra where I knew it would be safe; the metal practically burned against my skin after being in the heat of Derek’s palm, but it was a safe, reassuring kind of burn that I welcomed.

“Wow, sentiment over; now who’s gonna get me shitfaced and dance with me?” I cried, looking around at my friends expectantly.

“I think body shots are needed!” Erica grinned with a predatory look in her eyes.

“Sure! Let’s do it!” Throwing my arms in the air, I shuffled out the booth with Erica and danced through the gyrating crowd, stopping at the bar with excitement pumping through our veins. The atmosphere alone had my hips swaying and my hands twirling above my head, closing my eyes as Erica ordered eleven shots of tequila, eleven lime slices and a salt shaker.

When I opened my eyes, Erica was thrusting the tray of lime slices at me; I took it and moved back from the bar, only to feel a large, groping hand on my ass. I spun around with a frown on my face, looking at the tall Hispanic looking guy that offered me a wink and a smirk. On sheer impulse I raised the round tray in my hands and slammed it across the side of his face, watching the lime slices fall to the floor, instantly being trampled by dancing feet.

“Back off, _bitch_!” I glared up at him and moved back to the spot at the bar I had just vacated.

“Stiles, you are such a BAMF; I don’t know what it is but there’s something bleeding in his mouth right now! I hope you knocked a tooth out!” Erica shouted over the heavy bass drop in the music as I ordered another tray of lime slices.

With a new tray, we made our way back to our booth and I stood in front of the table, biting my lip with a grin. My gifts had disappeared and looked around questioningly; Derek raised his hand in a gesture for me to come closer. “I put them out in my car!”

I handed Lydia the lime slices to pass around the group as Erica did the same with the shots; I flicked my hair back and clambered onto the table top clumsily, perhaps already feeling the effects of the Naked Pirate I drank earlier.

Well that didn’t sound dirty at all…

My legs bent at the knee, hanging off the edge of the table while my head only just teetered on the edge of the other end; Erica poured a small line of salt between my boobs shakily, cackling with her tequila shot in hand. She slotted a lime between my teeth and when I thought she was going to start the shot, she grinned somewhere past me, gesturing towards my body; I looked up to see Derek rising from his place on the bench.

I wiggled my eyebrows, blushing at the awkward gesture, but my flush was lost in the pulsing, coloured lights. He threw the shot back and lowered his body to my own, smirking like a predator eyeing his prey, and then his tongue slipped between his lips and dripped between my breasts, swiping up the salt quickly. His face scrunched up as he swooped forward and bit down on the lime, his lips pressed to my own and I leaned up into his kiss. The sharp, sour juice of the lime trickled past my lips and I pulled away, eyes squinting at the tangy citrus; Derek pulled back and smirked, sitting back down smugly.

Erica lined more salt a little higher up my sternum so that as my friends, my family, my pack licked the salt from my chest; it wasn’t such a provocative action. Jackson went last whilst actually managing to look like he didn’t hate the world, grinning along with the rest of us. I sat up and the table wobbled slightly, causing every were’s hand to snap out and stabilise it while I jumped down, cackling at their flashing eyes.

“Derek, babe, it’s _your_ turn! Get your fine ass on this table so I can lick it!” I bit my lip, inclining him forwards with my index finger; he rolled his eyes and climbed up onto the table, raising those perfectly sculpted eyebrows in a dare.

I slowly unbuttoned the black shirt he wore and took the salt from Erica; I drew a line down the centre of his abs, and then placed a slice of lime between his adorable bunny teeth. I climbed back onto the table straddling Derek’s hips before chugging down the tequila; I leaned down, holding his eyes with my own, watching them flash golden yellow as I flattened my tongue against his tense muscles. The salt grated along my tongue, stinging and tingling my taste buds; I leaned up and shuffled forward, licking his bottom lip before taking the lime slice between my teeth. I sucked on the sour lime, squinting as the juices washed most of the rough salt down my throat; I spat the lime peel out and pulled Derek into a filthy, raw kiss that I could feel right down to my toes.

I tumbled off the table, into the laps of my friends, laughing along with them. “Let’s dance!” I took hold of Scott’s hand and dragged him down to the dance floor, looking back to see Isaac, Erica, Allison, Danny and Lydia joining us whilst Derek, Boyd and Jackson stayed back, resuming some kind of conversation. Derek’s eyes remained on me though as one of my current favourite songs began to play; it was the Vanic remix of Skinny Love by _Birdy_ , and I screamed when it started.

I had waited so long for this. For the moment when it was no longer me watching, pinking and yearning from afar; the moment when I, Stiles Stilinski, held the spotlight of Derek Hale’s attention, with my favourite song pounding through my chest, the strobe lighting catching every sparkling navy sequin on my dress and my friends surrounding me in the bursting heat of the club.

I locked eyes with Derek and the grin on my lips softened. We no longer had to wait for legalities; our four year age difference finally meant nothing. Of course to the people surrounding us, there had never been a difference; we’re mates and that’s the end of the discussion. We were made to perfectly suit the other. It just took him a little growing up to realise it.

I turned back to my friends, grinding and gyrating, throwing my hips from side to side to the heavy, thumping bass. I had said it every year since learning my true heritage, but this had to be the _best_ birthday in the entire world, and it wasn’t even over yet. I was a people person; I love being with my pack, because it’s home and I know that these people love me just as much as I love them.

Strong, warm arms snaked around my waist and I leaned back into his chest, feeling his hips grind in motion with my own; I placed my hands above my head, finding Derek’s soft hair and wove my fingers through it.

I felt like I had died and gone to whatever version of heaven is in store for a creature such as me. I had longed to feel Derek’s intimate touch for so long that now I finally had it, I could barely think or breathe or act; I was home, I had found my reason for living and I would hold onto him for my dear life. He was my mate, my love, my protector; most importantly, he was _mine_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading dears!!!  
> Please leave me some kudos and a comment because I love those; they make life worth living!  
> I'm going on holiday this weekend but I'm really going to try to upload the next chapter before I leave ;)  
> I know y'all can't wait for the next chapter because I can't wait to write it!!!  
> Fluffy smut to come!!!!
> 
> P.S. here's a link to what I imagined as Stiles' dress, only I made a few modifications in the description of it :D  
> http://content.taweatrherwearlt.netdna-cdn.com/e/445/DW1005NAVY__0708__55803_zoom.jpg


	8. Finally Getting the Birthday Bumps

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The chapter we've all been waiting for ;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I took fucking forever to upload this but I've just been procrastinating from life a lot lately, so MY BAD!  
> Anyway, thank you so so SOOOO much for waiting; I love you.  
> Forever.  
> No joke.  
> Seriously.  
> I love you.

Waking up, I had a heavy arm strung over my back and soft snore came from the man beside me; I grinned, still half asleep, and opened one eye.  Derek’s eyes were already open, glowing a bluish-green in the morning sun that shone through the cracks in the blinds, and he looked like he had been watching me sleep for quite a while.

We both lay on our stomachs with our heads tilted towards each other; the soft, dark sheets on Derek’s bed felt amazing on my bare legs, and as I stretched my legs and arms out, my toes brushed one hairy leg and my smile widened. Everything about this was so domestic and peaceful; I could really get used to it.

“Breakfast?” He asked, voice husky from sleep, and I grinned, nodding.

“Why are you so perfect? God- stop it!” I rolled over and sat up, wiping the sleep from my eyes; running a hand through my hair, I slung my legs over the edge of the uber comfy bed and looked down at my black underwear. I leaned down and picked Derek’s baby blue Columbia hoodie off the floor, pulling it over my head as I stood up; it stopped mid-thigh and I had to shove the sleeves up a little.

“You should never stop wearing my clothes.” Derek climbed out of the bed in his tight black boxer-briefs, grabbing a shirt out of the dresser.

“Put that on and I will kill you before _any_ sexy times commence, Hale.”

“You really know how to threaten a guy, Stilinski.”

“C’mon; you said breakfast so now I want breakfast! Oh, I need to go to the bathroom, go on without me.” I skipped into his bathroom where my small toiletries bag sat on the countertop; I filled one of the glasses on the counter with water and downed my birth control pill before brushing my teeth. I then jogged down the dark, windowless hallway and trampled down the spiral staircase leading to his open plan loft.

The kitchen was to the right, all glossy black fixtures and chrome appliances; the living room sat to the left of the loft, black leather L-shaped sofa opposite to the huge flat screen, bookshelves line the entire left wall, bar the section where his desk seemed to be built into the wall, sleek and back, equipped with the Mac computer that had previously sat on his desk at the Hale house. The door still intrigued me, because it was huge and kinda rusty looking, yet it still managed to fit in with the brick walls and the dark hardwood floor. A long, rustic, worn-looking table sat somewhere between the living room and the kitchen, fitting six tall leather chairs around it.

I was impressed to say the least; it was a kickass loft and I honestly couldn’t wait to move in after graduation, because that was the most obvious arrangement to make us all happy.

“You’re a man with hundreds of books, yet there are still so many blank spaces in your bookshelves; why are this?” His questioning, contemplating look made me roll my eyes. “Yes, I know that ‘why are this’ is not proper English, but it _is_ correct internet-talk. Don’t look at me with those judgy eyes!”

“Well, I’ve seen your impressive book collection, and your comic collection; we’ll fill those shelves perfectly, _together_.”

“I feel like that’s one of your smart-boy metaphors…” I eyed him warily, following him into the kitchen; I jumped up onto the counter of the island, between the electric hob and the chrome sink.

“Take from it what you will; I’m simply stating the fact that there’s room to be filled in my loft and you have so much stuff that your comic collection has been relocated to the guest bedroom.” He routed through the fridge, pulling out the orange juice, bacon and eggs; I bit my lip and jumped down, wandering around the island bar to look for whatever sound system he had in the place.

I found it snugly tucked into one of the bookshelves; it was touch screen and looked highly technological. Flicking through the songs that showed up on the screen after I pressed the red ‘on’ button, I pressed play on Seduction by _Eminem_ , because of _course_ Derek isn’t only insanely, gloriously hot and a literary genius, but he also has _impeccable_ taste in music; I really am in love with this guy. _Damn_.

The music came from I don’t even know where, but the music filled the entire bottom floor of the loft from what I’m guessing are hidden speakers all around the giant room; I turned it up to a werewolf-friendly volume that still loud enough that I could _feel_ the beat. It. Was. _Awesome_!

Singing/rapping along, I danced – terribly – back over to the kitchen, where Derek was keeping an eye on the bacon with a pair of tongs in his hand. I wrapped my arms around his waist from behind and rolled my hips to the beat, grinning into his shoulder when he moved along with my body.

“I love this place! Graduation literally _cannot_ come quicker; how long have you actually had this place?” I traced over the swirls of his tattoo as I spoke, feeling him shiver under my touch; his height put my face at level with his tattoo.

“I got it about a week and a half ago and started working on it straight away. It was a big empty box, so I called in a few of my cousins; my dad’s cousin – one you haven’t met yet because he lives all the way in Louisiana and he’s a building contractor – so anyway, he flew over and helped me and a couple other cousins who are not otherwise engaged in family shit or education. You’ve heard us talking about Alcide right?” Derek raised one perfect eyebrow, turning the bacon with a professional flick of the wrist.

“I’ve heard very little, but according to your mom he’s just as hot as your dad, so I really can’t wait to meet him.” Derek rolled his eyes at me.

“You. Are. _Mine_.” He purred, slotting himself between my legs, and he dropped the tongs on the counter, moving his hands to my knees. Slowly and deliberately, his fingers crawled up my inner thighs, teasing my skin with his branding-iron heat.

“So I’ve noticed. What are you going to do about it?” His lips brushed mine, chaste and hesitant; I surged forward, deepening the kiss excitedly. That’s what today is for, right?

“Mmm,” He pulled away reluctantly, “Bacon; I don’t want it to burn, I _hate_ burnt bacon.”

“Ugh, go turn the bacon, and then you can fuck me.” I blushed, not meaning that as harshly and crudely as it sounded; worrying at my lip, I fiddled with the cuffs of Derek’s hoody sleeves. “I’m sorry, that didn’t come out right… I- it was- my brain to mouth filter’s on the fritz.”

“Well, the only part about that that isn’t true is the fact that I’m not just gonna put it all in and fuck you; I’ve gotta warm you up first.” With a cheeky wink, he jumped away from my swatting hand.

“Hurry up and do that then; Scott lost his virginity when he’d barely even turned sixteen and here I am, an _eighteen_ year old virgin, on the cusp of _finally_ getting laid with a guy who is older and much more experienced than _any_ of Scott’s past partners… which is all of two people. So I win; Scotty-boy can suck it!” I grinned, pouring two glasses of OJ and setting the breakfast bar for two.

“There’s literally no need to rush; you’re gonna be here all day.”

“Yeah, but the sooner we get to the sexy times, the more sexy times we can have; can’t you see what I’m getting at here? I _need_ a lot of sex to make up for all the Han _Solo_ time I’ve had the past three to four years. Wanna know something funny?” I sat on one of the barstools at the breakfast bar on the other side of the island, swinging my legs lightly.

“Sure, go ahead.” He didn’t look up from where he was cracking perfect looking eggs onto the frying pan.

“My vibrator’s called Bigby; as in, Bigby Wolf, a.k.a the Big Bad Wolf from the _Fables_ comic book series and _The Wolf Among Us_ video game. I should have brought him with me; would have made some _interesting_ sexy times, don’t you think?” I cackled at the shocked, awestruck expression on Derek’s face.

“Close your mouth; I don’t wanna taste flies when I kiss you.”

“I’m glad I know this… I think… mind if I ask you a personal question?” He looked back down at the frying pan before pulling out two plates; he dished up the food and sat down next to me, placing the plate in front of my. I grinned and tucked in, nodding at Derek to ask his question.

“When was the last time you… y’know?” His eyebrows raised and his eyes widened pointedly; I smirked, letting the question hang in the air for a second before the blush on the tips of Derek’s ears became far too adorable to resist.

“After our first date; my shoulder’s still a little achy from Sunday and my right arm’s my _good_ arm, so it’s been a bit awkward. I tried with my left but my left hand has no control over Bigby. Fellatio won’t be a problem; my mouth is in _full_ working action, but any handy I try to give is gonna be sloppy.” I shook my head, disappointed in my own stupidity; I fucked this day up for both of us.

“I wasn’t really expecting you to _want_ to do any of that right away to be honest… it’s just- I did _not_ prepare myself for this- for _you_ ; I should have known you’re not exactly like other girls… at all.” His food went untouched as he stared down at it, looking like he was mentally scolding himself; I rolled my eyes and put a hand on his bicep, turning him around in the swivel chair.

“Derek, babe, you seem to be forgetting that I am still a virgin; I have no idea what I’m doing. I mean, I took _lessons_ from my overly, disgustingly sexually active friends just so I don’t fuck this up; this will _all_ be new territory for me so you have absolutely _nothing_ to worry about. I love you, Der-Bear, but you have got to calm the fuck down because if you don’t guide me and tell me what _you_ like, I’m never going to be good at this. That is exactly what today is for; it’s a day for just _us_. No pack, no friends, no parents; just me and you.” I smiled, unable to help myself when the bashful smile on his lips lit up his entire face.

“You’re right; eat up, then take a shower and meet me in my room, ‘kay?” He smirked and began shovelling the eggs and bacon into his mouth like it was going out of fashion.

***

I could feel the mirror judging me. I _knew_ it was judging me and I fucking hated it; I like my body, I know I’m not _un_ attractive, but that still doesn’t stop me from being absolutely terrified of letting Derek of all people see me naked.

Rolling my eyes, I pulled one of Derek’s super soft old band tees on and yanked the bathroom door open; Derek was already settled in the navy sheets with his arms crossed behind his head, eyes closed and looking peaceful.

“Well, where do you want me, maestro?” I licked my lips, eyes raking over his perfection; a minute smirk curved his lips and his eyes drew open slowly, travelling up my legs where the shirt only just covered any modesty he would be claiming today. His eyes devoured every inch of skin they could, and before I could register what was happening, he was out of the bed, winding a long arm around my waist, pulling me into his already half-hard erection; the barrier of his boxer briefs left very little to my overactive imagination. The other hand cupped around the back of my neck, tilting my head up to stare into the piercing, liquid gold gates to his soul; I could see everything in those eyes. I could envision every small and beautiful moment, knowing there would be many to come; I could imagine the beautiful future we had ahead of us. It was perfect.

“Everywhere… L-Lysianassa… I _need_ you _everywhere_.” The growl of his wolf was in his voice and along with the hard bulge nudging into my stomach; it sparked the pulse in my core and turned my insides to mush; my heart pounded heavily in my own ears, so I couldn’t even begin to imagine how it sounded to Derek.

“Oh, mój Wilkołak, I’m all yours, so do with me as you please.” I leaned up into him, pulling him into a kiss by the scuff of his neck.

“What does that mean?”

“What does what mean?” I smirked, knowing all too well what he was talking about.

“The Polish? Do I need to remind you I’m not fluent, or even familiar, in the language?”

“Mój Wilkołak? It means you’re my wolf man…” I pressed another kiss to his lips, and this time he responded fully, dropping his hands to the backs of my thighs, he lifted me up and I wrapped my legs around his waist, plastering our chests together.

“If you ever stop claiming me as yours, I think I might die…”

“You’re such a drama queen and you’re so full of shit; now ravish me!” I grinned against his lips, arms flailing around us aimlessly.

“Your wish is my command!” My back landed on the bed, my head on the pillows, and I felt him pull the sheets up enough to cover us from the waist down as his body slotted between my slowly spreading legs.

His lips were strong and precise on my own whilst his fingers worked down my body with gentle, delicate touches. I reached down to the hem of Derek’s _Steel Panther_ shirt and arched my back, pulling the shirt over my head, breaking the kiss for less than a second before the shirt found the floor and his teeth clasped around my jugular teasingly.

His lips moved from my lips, pecking and nipping at the moles scattered across my cheek and down my neck; I would be forever perplexed by Derek’s fascination with my moles. He was always tracing them with his fingers or his lips – once with his tongue – and now that his eyes could roam across the moles and freckles that splattered across my chest and stomach – and the rest of my body – he took full advantage.

Soft lips, framed by tickly, fluffy scruff danced lightly over one breast, hot, rapid breaths wafted across my skin teasingly; I bit my lip, grinning, and brought my hands up to his hair, threading my fingers into the silky tufts.

“You sure you’re ready? There’s no rush, Stiles…” I could feel his muscles vibrating with the restraint it took to ask that question; I didn’t want to wait any more than he did, and I made that apparent by hooking my fingers into the hem of his boxer briefs and snagging them down, silently watching his eyes flash gold again.

“I’ve waited damn well long enough for this; Derek I _want_ you and that really isn’t going to change.” I smiled, reassuring him with a gentle hand on his bicep and used my feet to push his boxers the rest of the way down, where he kicked them away quickly.

“Please tell me if it’s too much; I’ll stop right away.” It was then that I released his gaze, nodding while I looked down between our bodies, readying myself; he held himself a few inches above me, braced with his elbows either side of my head, but that was enough space to see the faint outline of his erection between us.

“Oh… my _god_ \- is- no, I mean- are you gonna… I can’t even right now…” I eyed his length with slight trepidation; I honestly hadn’t anticipated him to be so _large_. Not only in length, but in girth as well; even Bigby couldn’t compare to Derek, and that special toy was a good six-inches long.

“What’s wrong? I’ve got condoms, Stiles, gimme a sec and I’ll put one on.” He shuffled over to his nightstand and rummaged in the top drawer, coming back with a gold foil square, holding it between his fingers like a gold medal while I stared up at the high ceiling in awe; there really was no other emotion to fit my current situation.

“I’m on birth control, you know that, but I guess it doesn’t… hurt… to be extra safe; that’s not what I was trying to say though. I was just- I wasn’t expecting it- uh, _you_ , to be that… _big_? I’m sorry, that was weird- I’m just gonna shut up now; I trust you, you know what you’re doing, please keep going.” I grinned, far too wide to be deemed ‘relaxed’.

“ _Stiles_ …” He looked down at me sternly, but I could still feel the arousal rolling off him in strong waves.

“Don’t use your ‘dad’ voice on me; I want you to sex me _right now_ because you’re hot and I’m hot, and we’re mates. There’s nothing _more_ right in this world than _you_ and _me_ ; I need you like I need air, Der-Bear, and I- I love you.” I held his eyes with my own, daring him to object to anything I said; he did no such thing. He swooped down, pressing his chest to mine, and his lips found mine; my lips parted in a startled gasp and as his tongue teased the tip of my own, I felt him stretch one arm down, slipping the condom on expertly.

“I love you too.” The tip of his shaft pressed against my entrance as his hands found my hair, gently carding his fingers through the waves of my hair that splayed across his pillows.

I closed my eyes, feeling him push in further; it stung, like my vagina was being viciously torn apart, and I had to clench my jaw to stop a small whimper from escaping my lips. He pressed a chaste kiss to my trembling lips and I loosened my tight grip on his biceps, urging him to continue without having to open my mouth.

“You okay? You’re doing amazing, Stiles; you’re so perfect.” His whispers of reassurance helped me open my eyes to look up into his; upon seeing his small, beautiful smile, I returned it with a shaky one of my own. His right hand travelled down my body and stopped at my hip, thumb rubbing soothing circles into my skin as black veins stood out along his arm, lifting the pain as he thrust himself deeper within me, slowly, inch by inch.

As he bottomed out, his eyes closed for a second, but I saw the spark of gold flash in his iris; he was keeping control of his wolf for obvious reasons and I snaked my arms up, around his neck as he began to slowly withdraw himself. A blinding, white-hot shot of pleasure pulsed through me and my leg muscles rippled, clenching around Derek’s body desperately.

My breaths left me in short gasps and his eyes opened to the sound, a smirk finding its way to his lips; I surged forward, kissing the smirk away hungrily while he thrust back into my core at a faster pace this time. The pain was still there, like a small tingle at the bottom of my spine, but the pain gave way to immense waves of pleasure that I didn’t even know my body was capable of.

Euphoria, nirvana, utter and complete _bliss_ ; all words I would use to describe the feeling of Derek pulling away and thrusting back into me, all strong muscles and pure power, showered gently along my body.

“D-Derek- please- go _faster_!” I mumbled, biting his bottom lip in emphasis, breathing heavily against his lips; he replied with a deep, guttural grunt that rumbled in his chest as he complied, speeding up his deep, pounding rhythm.

His hand snaked from my hip to the small of my back and arched my back slightly, plunging him deeper inside me; a moan erupted from within my churning stomach and I could have sworn I heard a tiny whine escape Derek’s lips. It was primal and animalistic, and the powerful scent of _sex_ and _us_ and _mates_ consumed me in a natural rhythm that almost ached beneath my skin.

Nothing my friends had told me could have prepared me for the sheer brilliance of this sensation; it was new and beautiful and sure, it kinda hurt still, but the almost overwhelming pleasure that soared through my veins completely made up for it. I looked up into the burning gold eyes of my mate and I instantly knew that I was losing him to his wolf, and it was a desperate voice inside me that yearned for him to shift completely so I could make love to the wolf that had claimed my heart so easily.

“Do it, Der-Bear; sh-show me the wolf. Let h-him _take_ me!” I grinned, basking in the growl that vibrated in his chest; his facial hair grew, his eyebrows went to fuck knows where while his brow bone broadened and his canines lengthened, ears pointing at the tips. His wolf was just as beautiful as he is; an image of power and mesmeric sharp angles.

And he was all _mine_.

My pulse multiplied as my breaths became shorter and more desperate; I could feel my climax building up in a way that I had never felt it before. It felt like every inch of flesh on me was both burning and ice cold, tingling at my nerve endings, tantalising electric shocks ricocheting through my core, were I was connected to Derek in a way I could never connect to another person.

The feeling was both terrifying and exciting, drawing tiny whines and moans from my parted lips; I pulled Derek back into a kiss, weaving my tongue carefully between his sharp teeth. He kissed me back with what seemed like every ounce of feeling and emotion he could muster, and I through back just as much; he grunted in reply, having lost all control over his words.

“Derek, I’m so _close_ …” I cried, tugging on the tufts of hair on the nape of his neck feebly.

“Holy shit, Stiles- you’re- I mean-” His speech was interrupted by his groaning; “You’re in your nymph form.” Looking up into his eyes, I could indeed see the white of my glowing eyes reflect in his. I could then feel my pointed ears brushing the pillow under my head and my nails drew blood as they clenched around Derek’s thick shoulder muscles; he healed instantly and I smiled up at him, bringing his lips back to mine, where the tiny points of my canines pierced his bottom lip.

My skin emanated a white glow and I writhed under the shocks of orgasm surged through me; Derek’s animalistic growl accompanied my breathy, choked off moan and although his seed was caught in the condom, I could still feel the white-hot heat of his orgasm, in perfect pulsing rhythm with my own.

My limbs and muscles trembled, feeling like Jell-O, and Derek collapsed in a heap on top of me, our ragged breath and panting chests rising and falling together. “Hey, fat ass, you’re heavy; get off me!” I grinned giddily, the realisation of having actual _sex_ with _Derek Hale_ washing over me; I bathed in it, feeling him scent mark me even as he rolled off my body, pulling me up to lie sideways with him.

“I am not fat.” He grumbled and I giggled, resting my head under his chin; I didn’t know what the post-coitus conversation was supposed to be, so I went with my instincts and blurted out the first thing I could think of. It also happened to be a desperate, niggling need that burned inside me.

“I gotta go pee.” I slipped out of the sheets and pulled on the _Steel Panther_ shirt that lay abandoned on the floor. I felt his eyes watch me as I skipped into the bathroom on wobbly legs; now that Derek was no longer leeching my pain it hit me like a truck on the highway. I had to put it frankly with myself; my vagina stung like a mother fucker and it didn’t feel like it was going to stop any time soon.

I did as I said I would and peed, like a damn race horse, and I wiped _extremely_ gently because _ow_! I then looked in the mirror and forced my nymph features back; I expected to look different, or something, but no, I was in fact, still Stiles Stilinski.

I did however look flushed and my hair was an absolute mess, but _that_ I had definitely expected. Taking a swig of water from the tap, I walked back into the bedroom, seeing an empty bed; I frowned, sighing as I rummaged around the duffle bag Derek brought from my house yesterday. I slipped on a pair of boy shorts and threw my body back onto the bed.

Derek came back into the room with his underwear on, carrying a bottle of water and a green _Gatorade_ in one hand, and a bag of hot _Cheetos_ in the other hand. “You know me so well, lover!” I grinned, sitting up against the headboard.

“Well I figured, you’re always hungry, so now wouldn’t be any different.” He sat down beside me and dropped the _Gatorade_ in my lap; tearing open the large bag of hot _Cheetos_ , he set them between us and took a long drag on the water bottle in his hand.

“So… how was it?” I asked, anxiously stuffing my mouth with the corn snacks.

“It was perfect; since I hit puberty I’ve been showered with stories about how life-changing it’s supposed to be when you have sex with your mate. I’ll just say that I wasn’t disappointed; you were great for your first time, and I love that even though you were probably in a lot of pain, you still managed to tell me what to do. Like they say; practice makes perfect and we’ve got a whole day of practice.” He ate a few _Cheetos_ before continuing. “You’re obviously gonna be sore for at least a couple days, so we don’t have to go the whole way again; there’s plenty we can do that won’t cause you any more unnecessary pain.”

***

True to his word, we did just chill out all day, taking the comforter from the bed down to the sofa, we marathoned _Star Wars_ – the original trilogy – and he ordered in what seemed to be the entire menu from the Thai restaurant a few blocks away.

Although we only had sex just this morning, I was already looking forward to the next time we would get to do it; it was a need that slowly built up inside me throughout the day and now it just felt like a niggling itch in the back of my mind.

“Derek, can we have sex again?” He looked away from the screen as the final celebration scene of _Return of the Jedi_ played on his huge flat screen; he didn’t seem fazed by the question at all. If anything, he looked like a child that had just been told he was going to Disneyland; the expression fell as his eyes caught sight of the clock hanging on the wall.

“I told your parents I’d have you back home by ten.”

“Yeah, and it’s nine-forty; it’ll only take a few minutes to get to my house, so hurry up and get inside me!” I grinned, pulling out the condom that I took from his drawer earlier when I went to change into a baggy tank top and lazy shorts; I tossed it at him and he smirked, wiggling out of his sweats from his sitting position on the sofa.

I shucked out of my shorts and panties, straddling his lap with a foreign confidence that I didn’t fully understand; all I knew was that we had – dare I say it? – _wasted_ an entire day watching _Star Wars_ when we could have been doing _this_!

“Are you sure you wanna do it like this?” His eyes were golden and dazed with lust.

“We have _a lot_ of time to try out _a lot_ of things; this is just the start of the crazy shit we’re gonna be doing. I fully intend on trying _everything_ humanly possible.” I grabbed his chin and pulled him into a kiss, trailing my other hand down his chest; he palmed his way up my thighs until his large hands settled on my ass, kneading the toned flesh there.

My fingers danced along his length and it continued to perk up at my feather-light touch. Somewhere in the fluorescent, burning heat that passed between us, our shirts got lost in the mix of my own heady, pungent scent and the deep, purring growls escaping the wolf’s chest. His teeth scraped down the length of my neck and I was one hundred percent sure I whined like a bitch in heat as he guided the tip of his shaft between my wet folds.

He was slow, again, but his restraint seemed a lot more severe this time, so I wiggled a little and pushed down, out of his strong grasp, impaling myself on his dick. I shit you not, his eyes rolled back into his head for a second, before he snapped back, liquid gold glowing in the shadows of his loft. I bit my lip through the obvious sting that thrummed through my southern region.

Grasping his thick, muscled shoulder, my free hand wound through his soft hair and I tugged him up into a heated, messy, _filthy_ kiss that had my arousal soaring out of control. I moaned against his lips as my thighs burned, lifting me off his lap, before plummeting back down on him. I felt full, and the pleasure only intensified when he thrust his tongue into my mouth and the rhythm of his hips quickened.

“Oh my- ja pierdole, tak cholernie dobry…” Moaning seemed to be a new language that I was fluent in, because even my Polish couldn’t quite sum up the ecstasy pumping through my veins as Derek _growled_ in my ear, sinking his teeth into the pliant flesh of my shoulder.

I rolled my hips in time to his long, hard, ruthless thrusts; I could easily feel the bruises forming under his steely grip on my hip and thigh. Derek was leaving his mark and I practically purred at the knowledge that the entire pack would know exactly who I belong too; it would also be obvious to the humans in my daily life that Stiles Stilinski was no longer a girl; she is a woman.

“Oh Derek- oh _fuck_ … I fucking love you!” Hiccupping through my words made his already burning eyes flare in excitement, and I could see that his wolf had completely taken over; he was panting and drenched in sweat, as was I, and the change into his Beta form was quick, but still so incredibly beautiful.

The sting of his length thrusting in to me was extinguished by the blissful feeling caused by him pulling out, making me wetter and wetter by each beautiful second. I wanted to talk, to scream, to cry, but all I could must was a stuttered moan as I bared my neck, leaning back to show him my utter submission. His lips sucked and nipped on my flesh, moulding to the curve of my neck as the sharp points of his claws pierced my hips in a way that I was _totally_ okay with.

As the pressure/pleasure built up slowly in the pit of my abdomen, I felt his hips jerk slightly out of pace; he was nearing his tether’s end and so was I. I could feel completion like a warm camp fire burning in my fingers and my toes, spreading through my veins and across the sweaty planes of my skin.

Finding his lips again, I nibbled and tugged on them, flinging my arms around his neck tightly; moaning into his grunting mouth, I felt his thumbs wipe away tears on my cheeks, tears that I didn’t even know I was crying. He kissed me back with just as much passion and heat, and I could feel the deep connection between us; it was a feeling that made me want to watch Hugh Grant movies while sobbing furiously into a giant tub of organic ice cream, simply because I could.

“Stiles, I’m gonna cum…” The flashing gold of his iris’ told me how incredibly hard it was for him to form such a simple sentence; I slowly, and carefully, lifted myself off his lap, to what seemed to be his great displeasure. I kneeled beside him, tentatively taking his member in my hand; I pumped him through his orgasm, watching hot white strings of his cum coat my chest and chin as I slowly milked him through it. His eyes rolling back into his head for a second before gravity was a blur and I was suddenly on my back, shaky legs flung over Derek’s shoulders as one of his hands held me down gently on my stomach, pushing my shirt up, while the other hand lifted my hips slightly.

He leaned down and his searing hot tongue rolled around my pulsing clit, the hand on my stomach trailed down, causing my skin to flush and rise in goosebumps. He plunged two fingers into my soaking core, thrusting and curling his fingers as my climax built again, pulsing within me like a fiery beacon. The hand that was lifting my hips moved up my body until he had a tantalising palm cupping my breast, massaging and squeezing the flesh beneath his precise fingers.

“You gonna cum for me, Stiles? Do you like it when I fuck you with my fingers?” His voice vibrated against my clit and I moaned beneath him, wriggling and clenching around his fingers as he added a third.

“Ye- _es_! Oh my- _fuck_ ; whatever you’re doing, keep fucking doing it! I-I’m almost- _fuck me_ \- Derek I’m almost there- I’m almost-” I reached my orgasm and Derek, to my great surprise, lapped up every drop of my juices, holding down the pressure on my clit with his thumb as my body twitched in my post-orgasm haze.

“Now we’re late, so get your sexy ass dressed; I might be able to talk your dad out of filling my body with wolfsbane bullets if we hurry.” Derek jogged back up to his room while I pulled my underwear and shorts back on quickly, throwing my hair into a high ponytail before slipping on a pair of ballerina pumps that I packed in my bag.

Derek came back down wearing a pair of tight black jeans and a pale teal Henley; I bit my lip and picked up my overnight bag, slinking it over my shoulder. Derek turned all the lights out and turned the TV off while I opened the door enough for us to get through it; we took the worrisome elevator and he drove me home in the Camaro, holding my hand over the console like the cheesy bastard he is

“It’s only just gone ten; you’re fine; I’ll just tell my dad that I made us sit through the end credits of Star Wars. He’s my daddy; he’ll believe anything his little princess tells him.” I flicked through the radio station, tucking my left ankle under my right leg as I settled on a station that was playing Bad by _David Guetta, Showtek and Vassy_. It was a personal favourite of mine.

“Why does it feel so good-” I turned to Derek, grinning as I danced in the confines of my seatbelt; the bass dropped and I sang along, “So good to be bad?”

Derek rolled his eyes, but I could see his fingers tapping along to the song on the steering wheel. Before I knew it, we were in my driveway and Derek was pulling my car door open with my overnight bag in hand; I took the hand he offered me and got out on almost shaky legs. I think I was still a bit jellified from my orgasm. Oopsie daisy.

“I’ll see you Saturday, right?” He asked as we got to the front door and I nodded, taking my bag from his shoulder, I pulled him down to me and pressed a desperate kiss to his lips and he eagerly turned it into another filthy make-out session that had me burning all over.

The sound of a throat being cleared pulled us out of our own world and Derek practically dropped me to the floor as he stepped back, standing at his full height as he faced my unimpressed looking father; I rolled my eyes and leaned up to press a small, chaste kiss to the corner of his mouth before shoving him towards his car and pulling my dad into the house.

Waving to Derek as he peeled out of the driveway, I closed the door and grinned up at my dad, “Good evening, daddy, how was work?”

“’S good, but please don’t make a habit of coming home late and kissing him on our doorstep; as your father, if find that profoundly disturbing, kid.” He gave me his ‘Sheriff’ look that really lost any threat a long time ago.

“That’s funny because I never complain about the ‘ _profoundly disturbing’_ things I hear coming from you and mom’s room sometimes. But I’m just sayin’” I sang as I cheekily flounced up the stairs; I grinned, biting my lip as I closed my door and leaned against it.

Seriously _nothing_ could ruin my mood after a day like today.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading my darlings!  
> I've already started the next chapter and big things are happening in it so YAY!  
> I hopefully wont take as long with this one!
> 
> The Polish translations:
> 
> ja pierdole – fucking hell
> 
> tak cholernie dobry – so fucking good
> 
>  
> 
> Oh and if you wanted some pictures, here ya go!
> 
> Derek's shirt that Stiles wears - http://www.rocknshop.de/images/product_images/popup_images/Steel_Panther_T_Shirt_17_Girls_schwarz-8396_0.jpg
> 
> Derek's kitchen (I am 100% in love with it) - http://groovexi.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/furniture-kitchen-excellent-swivel-barstool-chrome-legs-with-sweet-black-panel-island-white-granite-tops-and-chrome-modern-exhoust-range-and-great-black-cabinets-kitchen-furnishing-also-white-plafond.jpg


	9. Game Changer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone goes missing and Stiles fights to stay strong whilst once again saving the day.

My morning run began as normal as it possibly could; I hooked Anakin up to his leash for the public-eye’s sake and just started jogging. Anakin hadn’t been out for a jog with me for a while due to my mind being in other places, but now, I had my needs satisfied and I could happily enjoy a jog with my baby boy.

“Are you getting fat?” I grinned as Anie’s head swung around and he gave me a look that clearly said ‘stop talking shit, Stiles’.

“You’re right, y’know, I’m sorry you didn’t get out with the pack for the full moon on Wednesday, but mommy was busy getting drunk with her friends. You understand, right bud?” I didn’t get an answer, but then again, I didn’t really need one; I knew he forgave me the moment I went back downstairs after Derek dropped me off, earning myself a thorough scent making/kissing spree.

About halfway through the preserve, I stopped to look around carefully before taking the collar from around Anie’s neck, “Go on, buddy, have a good run, but stay close.”

He turned to me, tongue lolling from his mouth in a sharp-toothed grin; it kinda looked like he nodded back at me.

Leaning down, I stretched for a good fifteen minutes, move from squats to lunges, to keep my muscles from ceasing up. Every now and then I saw his bushy black tail breezing through the trees and shrubbery, but when he had been out of sight for a solid ten minutes, I frowned, whistling in the way I knew would call him back to me.

“Anie, c’mere boy! Anie!” Even I could hear the slight twinge of panic in my own voice; he always came back when I whistled.

Another few minutes passed and there was still no sign of him; I would normally stay in the clearing and wait for him, but he had never been gone this long before, so I began to walk in the direction I last saw him running in.

I wasn’t naïve, I knew I could never catch up to a fully grown wolf, but he could have fallen somewhere of hurt himself and I couldn’t live with myself if I left him in pair for any amount of time.

I walked through the dense woods, tripping and stumbling more as the time passed; I screamed and shouted his name until my throat was raw and tears streamed heavily down my face. I could feel it in my bones; something bad was happening or about to happen, and I was too blind with worry and pain to fully understand that feeling. It was foreign and unwelcome; I needed my baby.

I searched blindly, knowing deep down that I was only getting myself lost further into the deep growth of the preserve, but I couldn’t stop myself; I ploughed forward, scraping my knees and elbows, grinding dirt into the palms of my hands. Sweat dripped from me and dirt clung to my skin awkwardly; I had no control over the tears that dripped down my cheeks and got soaked up in my sports top.

I soon found myself in another clearing, much smaller and shaded by the canopy of trees above; I tripped over a branch, landing on my hands and knees, and I saw no real reason to get back up again. I was lost and I still hadn’t found Anakin; I could do nothing my rest my head on my forearms that were now crusted with dirt and cry, sobs wracking through my ribs like mini earthquakes that shook my entire body.

“Lookin’ for somethin’, sweetheart?” A sarcastically sweet voice called from the opposite end of the clearing and I lifted my head, sitting back on my legs as I took in the woman in front of me; she had long, flowing black hair, deeply tanned skin and she held a confident stance.

It was upon further inspection of the woman that I noticed her bare feet, each toe framing long, black, menacing claws that matched the ones on her fingers; her eyes glowed fiery red and her sharp teeth grinned maliciously.

“W-who are you? What have you done with my wolf?” I asked, trying to wipe the tears and snot from my face; she smirked, watching me like I was some kind of fascinatingly pathetic creature.

“Your wolf? Oh, well he’s somewhere… safe, I suppose. Now, are you going to cooperate with me, nymph?” She growled, taking a few steps forward; my legs slid out from under my butt and I held my ankle with one hand to stop it from shaking, using the other hand to continue wiping my face.

“Y-yes, just please- you have to- _please_ give him back to me! I’ll do anything!”

“Good. Now, nymph, all we want is for you to join our pack; you’re strong and you’re far too good for the Hale pack. I am here on behalf of my pack; a pack of alphas, so you can imagine our combined power. Lysianassa, we’re going to take you all over the world; you’ll be living like a celebrity. Deucalion wants you to have _everything_ you could possibly want, so tell me; what do you think?” She crouched before me, smirking as her sharp claw traced my jawline.

I glared up at her and on the contrary to what my mom always taught me, I spat in her face; she reeled back, wiping the spit away before her hand swooped down and slammed harshly across my right cheekbone, claws only scratching my skin enough to draw the tiniest amount of blood. “ _Fuck you_! Take your ‘offer’ and shove it up your cunt! How dare you insult my pack! You were right when you said I’m strong; I’m gonna-” Her clawed hand was around my neck and she crouched at my back, breath warm on my ear and neck.

“You’re gonna what? Crush me? I highly doubt that, sweetheart. I’ll give you some time to rethink your answer; you get the mongrel back when you join us.” Just like that, she was gone, and any stench of her presence left the clearing with her.

I curled back over myself, letting my tears roll freely down my cheeks; my phone began to ring in my zipped pocket and I fumbled to retrieve it, hitting the answer button when I saw ‘Derek’ on the screen. “He’s g-gone! Anie’s gone; she took him… I can’t- I don’t… I’m- I don’t know where I am. She took him, Derek; sh-she took him…”

“Stiles, what’s the matter? Who are you talking about? Who took Anakin? Where are you; I’m going to find you!” His voice was panicked as he heard my own wet sobs.

“I don’t _know_ … I don’t know, Derek; I just- I don’t… the preserve… that’s all I know- Derek, _please_ \- she has him… she’s an alpha.” I could faintly hear the sound of his feet thundering on the ground, but even the reassurance that Derek, my mate, was coming for me could not fend of the panic attack that caused me to drop the phone and wrap my arms around my body.

“I’ve got your scent! Stiles _breathe_ ; I’m coming for you! Just breathe!” His voice was distant and foggy to my deafened ears.

My breaths came to me in short, laboured gasps that couldn’t deliver enough oxygen to my lungs and heart; my chest tightened and tremors wracked through my entire body as I cried and sobbed through the pain.

Black dots clouded my vision as a pair of strong arms enveloped me and I instantly felt the mate bond, dragging me from the surreal darkness that threatened to consume me; he dragged me onto his lap and began rocking me back and forth in his arms, soothing my hair down as he muttered encouraging words in my ear softly.

As my breathing came back to me, the loss of Anakin hit me and I buried my face in Derek’s chest; I ignored the feeling of him picking me up and the distinct sway of his long strides.

After what could have been minutes or hours of me just crying pathetically into Derek’s shoulder as I clung to him like a lost child, my tear ducts finally ran dry and I looked up to take in my surroundings. We were on one of the comfy green sofas in the Hale house’s den and Derek had a soft blanket wrapped around my shoulders.

“Derek, I’m sorry…” I knew my voice was raw and painful, but I had to tell him; I can only imagine the panic he must have felt when I answered that phone call.

“You have nothing to be sorry about, okay? We’re gonna find Anakin, okay? Laura, Isaac, Boyd and my dad are out in the preserve tracking scents now; we’re going to find him.” If the look of pure hurt and determination in his eyes didn’t assure me, then the small kiss he pressed to my temple did.

“How long was I… _crying_?” I wasn’t usually a crier; I mean, sure I cry when the dog dies in _I Am Legend_ and when John Coffey gets the electric chair in _The Green Mile_ , but I didn’t cry a lot outside of movies.

“Just under an hour since I found you; do you want your shower now?” He smiled down at me and I nodded, stiffly climbing out of his embrace; he guided my shaky legs up the stairs and to my usual room in the house.

“You need any help?” His gaze was cautious and worried, and I knew his words were not meant to be sexual, so I nodded as he closed the bathroom door. He lowered me to the closed toilet seat and I lifted my arms as he tugged my top off; the heat of his hands on my skin burned, but felt ice cold at the same time, causing me to shiver as his fingers trailed down my sides.

He flicked the shower on and proceeded to take my running shorts off; his touch gentle and slow. He must have taken my running shoes off when he got me to the house, because all he had to do was pull off my socks and I was left in only the _Star Wars_ panties I found particularly comical today – they looked kind of like Princess Leia’s slave outfit.

“Need anything else?”

“Stay with me…” I whispered, stepping out of my underwear when I pushed them away; the atmosphere still didn’t seem as sexual as I thought it should, which made me smile, because it really was reassuring.

I stepped into the shower and within seconds he joined me, arms winding around my waist as the hot stream of water pummelled down on us; his quick fingers gently pulled the hair tie from the ponytail in my hair and I leaned back into his chest, closing my eyes when my head rested on his shoulder.

He squirted some of my banana and vanilla shower gel on his hand and began washing the sticky dirt off my skin is slow, languid motions; I felt his lips on my shoulder and neck after the water stream washed away the bubbles and I hummed in content.

No words were needed, not when he washed every inch of my skin, and not when his gentle, methodical fingers massaged my scalp with rainforest flower scented shampoo; he kissed me through the process, and it was his calming touches that held me grounded and stopped another panic attack from happening.

I could tell that my own worry and fear and self-loathing were taking a harsh toll on him; he looked sad and worried every time I opened my eyes, but I couldn’t grasp control over my own emotions. They radiated from me like beacons of darkness trying to consume every good thing in sight; that good thing just so happened to be the goodness in Derek. He looked about as worn out as I felt as he turned the shower off and wrapped a towel around me; tucking a towel around his own waist, he sat me down on the bed in the guest room and rooted around my clothes in the dresser.

He placed a small pile of clothes beside me before leaving the room, presumably to put his own clothes on; I sluggishly dried myself off and put on the clothes he pulled out for me – white tank top, grey off the shoulders sweater and dark grey comfy shorts – before slipping into my Wonder Woman booty slippers.

I climbed on top of the pale yellow and grey bed and shoved the throw pillows onto the floor before settling under the comforter; not long after closing my eyes, I felt Derek’s warmth plaster against my back.

“Just get some rest, okay? Then we can go about a plan to get Anie back.” He nuzzled my neck and shoulder, scent marking me with the scruff on his cheeks. I nodded slightly, wiggling back into his reassuring heat; they couldn’t have gone far with Anakin. We would find him.

***

“I’d say they have a strong spark or witch with them, because they’ve completely masked their own scents, along with Anakin’s. Stiles, we’re going to need to use a lot more magic than werewolf senses to find him; I have a spell, but it’s dangerous for both you and the wolf. Depending on what kind of witch they have with them, the bond between you could be severed completely; I’m going to need you to call along the bond that you share with Anakin and I’ll go into detail if you agree to do it.” Dr Alan Deaton looked at me with that creepy, level stare that I absolutely detested; my mom stood beside me and Talia on the other side, while Derek hung back with a cold stare pinned on Deaton.

“Yeah, I’ll do it, whatever it takes; just do it _quickly_.”

“Honey, you should think about this before you agree; you or Anie could be hurt doing this…” My mom’s soft hand on my arm grounded me, but it didn’t deter me from what I had to do to get Anakin back.

“I know it’s dangerous, but I’m strong and I’m pretty damn powerful; those bastards aren’t going to know what hit ‘em when I get my hands on ‘em.” I eyed Deaton cautiously as he pulled pots, jars, herbs and bowls out of the cupboards in the veterinary clinic; according to my mom, emissaries and the Nymphai don’t exactly get along, but they tolerate each other for the good of the pack. This man’s methods seemed a lot more subtle than anything I had ever practiced with my mom; it seemed like less magic, more guess work and sheer luck.

“You’re one hundred percent sure you wish to do this? Because once we start there’s no going back; you’re opening a part of your mind that would never usually be opened?” His beady black eyes peered at me and I nodded, solid and confident in myself. “Very well then; if you’d like to lie down on the table here and remove your shirt, I’ll begin.”

I frowned but did as he said, slipping out of my checked shirt and the white tank top under it; I handed both to my mom and jumped up onto the cold metal table. As I lay down, my eyes caught sight of a furious looking Derek; I could feel the anger rolling off him in waves and it was doing nothing to help my own nerves.

“Derek, calm the fuck down or you’re gonna have to leave.” I barked, shivering and twitching as my bare back touched the examination table; I was really glad the bra I wore was beige, because anything else in my dresser would have been extremely embarrassing.

“Sorry! I just don’t like this… _him_ seeing you like that…”

“Well now isn’t the time for your wolf to be jealous of a dude that looks like he hasn’t seen a woman naked in at least a freakin decade – no offense, Deaton – because time is running out, so _pipe the fuck down_!” This shut him up and I could see the slight curve of Deaton’s lips as he turned around to mix some weird looking stuff in a wooden bowl.

“Talia, Derek, I’m going to need you to hold her down; she’s about to get more than a little restless.” Deaton placed the bowl beside me on the table as Derek’s hands took my hips and Talia’s rested on my shoulders. “Your hand please, Stiles.”

He used a pen knife to create a long, shallow cut on my palm and I squeezed my blood into the bowl as he held it under my hand; sighing as my mom glared at Deaton and bandaged my palm, I looked up into Talia’s eyes and she smiled the kind of understanding and confident smile that had the power to both reassure one and ensue complete power. There was a light in Talia’s eyes that I could only stare at with hope, because that’s what the light was; it was clean and pure, it was hope and faith and confidence.

After mixing the strange goo that he had created, he took the mixture on one thumb and began drawing strange markings and magic sigils that I recognised from my own spell books on my torso, arms and face.

Derek wasn’t happy about it; that was clear from the ninja grip he had on my hips that would surely leave dark bruises, but he managed to keep his feelings under control, even if a growl slipped past his lips every now and then.

“Na mamlaka ya mwezi, jua, dunia, hewa, moto na bahari nini mara moja waliopotea kurudi kwangu.” Deaton repeated the chant in what I assumed to be Swahili.

His chants seemed to get louder as consciousness faded and the last thing I really saw in the blur of florescent lights and grey ceiling was a pair of glowing red eyes; I faded into a blackness that felt both comforting and terrifying.

Everything stayed black for what felt like hours as the faint whoosh of wind blew in my ears; images came to me, blurry and surreal. I looked around as my vision became clearer and it was obvious that I was no longer in the small confines of Dr Deaton’s clinic; the walls and floors looked like white marble and besides that, I spotted a large circular door and a symbol on the floor that looked like rays of sun that seemed vaguely familiar yet completely foreign at the same time.

As quickly as I had appeared in this place, I was reeling back again, pulled back like the violent rush of a tornado; I felt like my entire body was convulsing while everything remained pitch black and cold, yet completely scalding at the same time. My nerve endings shocked and buzzed beneath my skin as I fought for consciousness.

My vision rushed back to me, lights bright and burning against my retina while a sharp, twisting pain tore up my throat, causing me to cough and splutter as my instincts tried to get rid of the pain; I was back in Deaton’s clinic, and as I felt bile rise in my throat, I scrambled off the table, hitting the floor like a sack of bricks. I pulled my body up on the lip of the metal sink and emptied the contents of my stomach as my back arched and my stomach did the aching kind of summersaults.

Looking at what had come out of my mouth, I noticed an abundance of small white flowers; I flicked the faucet on and picked up the vine of tiny flowers, running it under the cold water, I searched my mind for what I was looking at. My answer did not come from Theo’s teachings, but from an episode of _Breaking Bad_ ; it was Lily of the Valley.

“Lily of the Valley; mom, what does this mean, because I sure as hell didn’t eat that?” I turned to the people in the room, facing scared and worried looks; the flowers shook in my trembling hands and I looked at each of their faces with about a million different questions.

“It means the witch isn’t quite as powerful as I expected, but it’s still not a good sign; the spell we just worked allowed a part of your soul to travel to Anakin’s and see what he’s seeing, essentially putting you in his body. The Lily of the Valley is a very poisonous flower when used properly, but in magic terms; there’s no end to the possibilities with that flower. The witch could be doing anything with Anakin right now, but the fact that you just threw that up means she knows what we just did and that flower was sent as a message.” Deaton started rooting around in more cupboards while I started washing the weird red-brown goo off my skin.

I put my tank top back on and tied the check shirt around my waist, suddenly feeling a rush of heat in my body; my mom’s arms around me felt constricting and too warm, so I sluggishly pulled away from her, needing to get home and work on finding out what the symbol I saw meant. I also needed a good cold shower to lower my body temperature.

“Uh, th-thank you, Deaton… I’m, um, I’m gonna go…” I mumbled, holding onto the wall as I made towards the door.

“You don’t look so good, Stiles, how ‘bout I drive you home?” Derek hooked my car keys out of my pocket and I frowned, nodding; I didn’t feel _bad_ per se, but I didn’t feel particularly up to watching the road either.

He helped me to my Jeep and I grumbled about fourth gear sticking and having to pump the clutch to get into fifth, but he seemed to have it all figured out, so I just closed my eyes in a daze.

As I drifted into a light sleep, a dream or memory came to me, unstable and shaky, but I could see my mom; she towered above me, meaning this was an early memory. My chubby hand held hers and I looked around in awe of the beautiful stone walls around us; my mom held some kind of book, like a check book, in her other hand and we were waiting in line for something.

“Mommy?” My own voice sounded distant and strange.

“Yes, kochanie?”

“What are we doing? You said we’re gettin’ ice cream?”

“We are getting ice cream, baby, but first I’m putting away the money you got for your birthday.” My mom smiled down at me the same way she always does and I felt myself return it.

“How long will it take? They might run out of ice cream, or the machine could break and the ice cream would melt! Or maybe there’s a flu going ‘round and someone could sneeze on the ice cream, and then everybody’d get the flu! And mommy, I don’t want the flu; I only just got rid of the chicken pox!” The man in front of us turned, smiling down at me as if I was the most amusing thing in the world; my child self didn’t know the man, but with my own mind, I registered the sharp, broad features of Theo Hale. He exchanged a brief glance with my mom and wordlessly turned back around as he moved towards the uniformed woman behind a desk.

“Don’t be silly, Lyse, this won’t take five minutes, and nothing’s going to happen to the ice cream.” As she said this, she walked towards a man behind another desk, pulling me along with her; the man smiled politely and I frowned, impatient for the ice cream I was promised.

“Hello, Beacon Hills First National, how can I help you?” The man’s chipper voice woke me from my light slumber and I shot forward in the Jeep, hitting my brow bone on the window in the process.

“Holy shit! Derek turn the car around!” I cried, worrying at my lip as he threw a wary glance my way before making a hard turn, lifting the handbrake like he was in some kind of Vin Diesel movie, and jetting off in the direction we came in.

“What’s wrong? Where do we need to go? I’m kinda confused right now!”

“To your parent’s house; everybody should be there and I know where Anie is, so we need a plan. I’m gonna call Allison and get her dad to help; he’ll help…” I dialled Allison’s number and she picked up quickly.

“Hey Stiles, I heard what happened; what’s the plan?” And this is exactly why I love Allison.

“I need you and your dad at the Hale house _ASAP_.”

“Okay, we’re on our way.” I hung up and stared down at my phone for a while before realising who I would have to call to get the word out.

“Lydia Martin speaking, make it quick.” She answered on the first ring.

“I need you to get the guys to the Hale house; it’s an emergency, don’t question it, just do as I say for once in your life.” I hung up before she could reply; I wasn’t particularly in the mood to fight with her right now. I didn’t have the mental capacity to do so.

“Step on it Derek; I don’t know how much time we have… and thank you…” Looking down at my hands, I fiddled with the sharp claws still stuck on my nails.

“For what?” He asked, glancing at me, confused.

“For taking care of me when I know you must think I’m crazy. I mean, we’ve been together a month now and I already seem insane; I’m not exactly pitching a great sale here… shit, I wouldn’t want to spend the rest of my life with _me_ …” I couldn’t hold his gaze when it glanced between me and the road.

“Well I do, I mean, let’s not make any promises just yet; you don’t know how batshit crazy I can be. I’ve been told I’ve got a glare that could cut through steel, but you probably already know that.”

“You make me sound like a stalker.” I raised my eyebrows at him, biting back a smile.

“Well if the restraining order fits…” His smirk was quite apparent.

“Ha ha, you’re _so_ funny! Sometimes I wonder why I love you.”

“You love me because the universe says so.”

“But seriously, if weren’t balls deep in the supernatural world, just two normal human beings, and we met in a bar… would we actually be together right now? I mean, I’m still in high school and you’re on your way to becoming an author or something amazing like that… sometimes I kinda feel like the world cheated you out on something; you could literally have a runway model or a fucking trophy wife, but instead you get some lunatic kid with ADHD and the shittiest luck in Beacon Hills.

“Hell, you’re too big for Beacon Hills; you deserve LA or Miami…” I knew it was true and it broke my heart to say it, but I needed him to know that I didn’t want to drag him down with me.

“Therein lies the fault; I don’t _want_ LA or Miami, and I certainly don’t want a runway model or a trophy wife. I was Stiles Stilinski; the quirky girl who stupidly waited for something she didn’t have to. You saved yourself for me, and don’t get me wrong; that is the most amazing and considerate thing anyone’s ever done for me, but you could have been dating boys your own age this whole time. I would have understood.” I shook my head at him, grinning like a maniac because I truly couldn’t believe this man was my mate.

“I didn’t only wait because I thought I should be faithful to you; I waited because when other boys touch me, I feel sick to my stomach. I used to try to think about other guys, I really did, but I knew it was wrong; I have _never_ wanted any other guy since I realised that boys do not in fact have cooties. Plus, I’ve had Mr Bigby to keep me company.” I winked at him and he rolled his eyes as he took the key out of the ignition.

“We’re at my house; you can stop licking my ass now.” He smirked, looking over at me with raised eyebrows; I rolled my eyes and grabbed the scruff of his neck, pulling him into a hard kiss.

“I wanna do many things with you, but licking your ass is not on my list of freaky shit to do with Derek Hale, thank you very fuckin’ much.” I climbed out of the Jeep, heading straight for the house; I took note of my mom’s car and the faint sound of cars on the long, winding road that lead right to this very house.

“TMI!” Erica’s voice greeted me when I stepped through the front door; I laughed and shook my head at her. She jumped at me and folded me into a tight hug. “All jokes aside, Lydia called and she seemed pretty spooked; is there any movement on the Anakin front?”

“Yeah, I know where he is; we just need a plan. So where’s Talia?”

“She’s in her office with your mom and Theo.” Red lips grinned at me encouragingly.

“Thank you, Erica.” I jogged through to Talia’s office with Derek and my friends hot on my heels; the three adults stood around Talia’s desk looking at a large map of Beacon Hills.

“You don’t need that; what we need are the blueprints to Beacon Hills’ First National Bank. That’s where they have him. The woman who took him, she said she wanted me to join her pack, that she’d kill Anie if I didn’t; she also mentioned a name; Deucalion. Does that mean anything to you?” I rattled off all the information I had, in hopes of somehow helping the situation.

“He was the alpha of a neighbouring pack a few towns away from Beacon Hills… we were trying to keep you kids out of this, but I guess you need to know now…” Talia began, massaging her temples as she sat in the chair behind her desk; at that moment, my alpha looked much older and worn thin. “The packs around us have been gradually disappearing; first it was Deucalion’s, then a woman called Kali, another man, Ennis and eventually all that was left of the Orny Falls pack were two young boys, probably your age.

“We’ve had suspicions for months now, but this is the last straw… how _dare_ they approach _my_ pack!” For the first time since I had met her, Talia Hale lost her shit; she leaned forward and her burning red gaze landed on me.

“The stronger a pack, the stronger their nymph has to be… Duke sees your potential Stiles and I fear that us going to the bank is exactly what he wants; so he can get to you. I- _we_ can’t risk losing you…”

“Well, I’m sorry Talia but I’m not going to sit around while my pack’s our risking their lives to fix something that happened because of _me_. I am going to get Anakin back in one piece, the same goes for myself. Let’s not forget that I was sixteen and completely intoxicated with alcohol and a whole fuck ton of emotions when I killed that alpha without a second thought; I’m pretty sure I can handle a pack of ‘em with my advanced powers.

“I hate to be _that_ person, but I’m not afraid to kill someone if they get in the way of the people I love; not only are they a threat to Anakin, but they are also a threat to all of you. I will rip them all, limb from limb, if I have to, and I will do it with or _without_ the help of my pack.” My jaw tightened as I lifted my chin; Talia looked half torn between pride and worry.

“Of course you have us, Stiles, I just offer caution; Deucalion is relentless – he always has been – and facing him is dangerous, for anybody. We need to plan this properly or we’ll lose people of our own; I know these people, trust me, Kali always had a few screws loose, especially after she killed her own emissary… her own mate.” Talia gave me a pointed look.

“She- how can you kill your own mate?” As I asked, I felt my own mate’s fingers slip into mine; I smiled down at out entwined hands and looked back at Talia with determination.

“It’s that kind of ruthlessness that we must be wary of. Stiles, how do you propose we handle this?” Talia pulled a roll of blue paper from one of the alcoves in the honeycomb grid of shelving covering the entire right wall of the room; it held blueprints and maps of everything in Beacon Hills.

Spreading out the blueprint on the table, I held it down with a few paper weights and drummed the fingers of my free hand on the edge of the table, scanning the white lines in front of me. “Well the vault is at the back, and that’s where Anie is, but the vault isn’t closed; that’s why I could see the symbol. I think we should come in from various angles to get them trapped; I’m gonna need Theo and Peter to come in through this rear entrance, because I’m betting they’ve got somebody on each entrance. Do you know anything about the boys?”

“They’re twins; I was friends with their mother before they killed her, but they are completely inseparable.” Talia watched me with a look of pride that I keened at; I was making my alpha happy and wolf or not, that made me happy.

“Good, then I’d say there’s a fair chance they’d stay together in the case of an attack; Derek and Scott, I want you to go in through the top air vents. It’ll be a tight squeeze but it’s doable… we’re gonna need to drill through the wall, and it’s stone, so it’ll take a while; I’m thinking a diamond bit-” Derek tapped my shoulder and I turned to him; he pulled his hand from mine and leaned both hands against the desk

“Forget the drill.” He stared at the desk and I turned to him, hand fisted in mid-thought.

“Sorry?”

“If I go in first how much space do I have?” I looked at him for a second before swinging my head around to look at Scott, who stood beside me, also leaning on the table with his forearm, looking like he was actually considering what Derek was saying; I swung my head back around to look at Derek.

“Wha-d- wha-d-you’re gonna do Derek; punch through the wall?” I asked, pushing away from the desk; my arms hung limply, considering the intelligence of my mate while he heaved a sigh, crossing his thick arms across his chest.

“Yes.” He smiled slightly, almost condescendingly. “Stiles, I’m gonna punch through the wall.”

“Ok, big guy, let’s see it. Let’s see that fist, big ‘ol fist, make it, c’mon; get it out there.” He rather grudgingly raised his right fist while keeping the left across his chest. “Don’t be scared, big bad wolf, yeah, look’eh dat.”

I took his wrist in one hand and held my other hand about three inches away from his fist; his face told me he was getting openly more annoyed at me by the second. “See this? That’s maybe three inches of room to gather enough force to punch through solid-” His fist collided with my palm and I fell back, hand flopping uselessly against the desk; I grabbed hold of my throbbing arm and went where my feet took me, wandering around the room in blind pain while I watched Scott gave a passive Derek the ‘what the fuck was that?’ look.

“He can do it!” I squeaked and Derek looked at me pointedly.

“I’ll get through the wall.” He said to nobody in particularly as he leaned back against the table, eyeing me as I made my way back to the desk, staring at him in pure – mocking – betrayal, rubbing my wrist as the pain subsided.

“Ways to _not_ turn a woman on…” I grumbled, glaring down at the blueprints; Derek rolled his eyes and took my wrist, examining it as black veins protruded from his arm. “Anyway, as I was _saying_ ,” Queue pointed glare at Derek, yanking my wrist free; I pointed at the front entrance. “Talia, you and I are going to come straight in through the front entrance ‘cause we’re bad ass bitches and we know how to make an entrance. Finally, there’s an old staff entrance around the side that I want Boyd, Erica, Isaac and Allison to head in through… I want Chris and his hunter buddies outside in case it gets ugly. Is okay with you, Talia?”

“That sounds good, Stiles, but why wouldn’t you go with Derek? Mates and all,” Talia winked and I grinned back at her.

“That’s exactly why I’m not going with Derek; he’s my mate and I couldn’t handle seeing him get hurt, also, I’ve put the teams together to highlight everybody’s strengths. I have you to keep me thinking straight, Derek will have Scott to keep his temper in control, I’ve seen Peter and Theo work together; you’re quite fascinating to watch and I’m pretty sure the two of you could talk someone into complete submission once you get going. Isaac, Boyd and Erica have the combined strength of any alpha and with Allison leading them, they’ll be pretty hard to stop.” I looked around the room smugly; I knew I was good, but _damn_ I am on fire today!

“What if you get hurt?” Derek asked, looking at my slowly bruising wrist pointedly.

“I won’t get hurt; you caught me by surprise when I wasn’t expecting it. Trust me, I’ll be expecting the unexpected from the moment I get into that bank ‘til the moment I get out with my wolf and my pack fully intact.” I leaned up to him, hand curling around the back of his neck; I pecked his lips and he pushed back into the kiss forcefully, completely ignoring our audience.

“Alright, as soon as we’ve take out the alpha pack, I’m in that vault to get Anie and we’re back out again; this is probably gonna be loud, so mom, would you call dad and tell him to be on high alert?” My mom nodded and I turned around to look at Scott, feeling Derek’s arms wind around me protectively under my breasts; his chin rested atop my head and I smiled, leaning back into him.

“Scotty, you’re good with this, right?” I raised my eyebrows and he smiled, his lopsided jaw making me want to coo; now probably wasn’t the time to do so, but I usually would.

“Yeah, how’d you come up with that so fast?” His big brown eyes got that confused puppy look and this time I almost did coo at him; instead, I fought the urge by stroking the thick hair on Derek’s arms.

“Because I’m a genius, Scotty… and I saw it on NCIS.” He laughed at me and I joined him, feeling Derek’s shoulder’s shake behind me.

“Peter!” Talia shouted and the faint sound of Peter calling ‘what?’ from the back yard made me giggle, rolling my eyes. “Get your ass in here.”

“Or what?” Peter asked from the doorway, smirking at his sister mischievously.

“Or I’ll tell mom and she’ll beat your ass.”

“Talia please, mom and dad are in Honolulu sipping mojitos and doing boring old people crap; as if they care. Anyway, what do you want? Why’s the room full of kids?” Peter raised an eyebrow and Talia rolled her eyes at him.

“The alpha pack is here in Beacon Hills and we’re getting rid of them before they hurt anyone else. It’s also a rescue mission to get Anakin.”

“Skywalker?”

“No, dumbass; my wolf.” I rolled my eyes at him and he turned to me, smirking.

“And why does the alpha pack have your pet?”

“Because they’re sadistic fucks and I’m going to kill them all.” I winked up at him as he waltzed forward.

“Should I call Melissa and have her ready for casualties?” He asked and I frowned, thinking about it; it would probably help if anyone got hurt.

“Sure, but tell her we’ve got a solid plan so there’s no need to worry and we’re only being precautious by calling her.” I smiled as he took his phone out.

“She’s my mom; I could have called her…” Scott grumbled and I rolled my eyes, taking his hands in my own with Derek still latched onto my back like a baby monkey.

“But you and I have other things to think about and you know that, unfortunately, Peter’s better at sweet talking your mom over the phone than you are, because you may be her puppy eyed son but he’s got that sexy older man voice.” Derek’s arms tightened around me and I leaned further into him. “We’ve got a plan to follow, okay? So let’s get ready.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading; I'll hopefully have another chapter soon!!!
> 
>  
> 
> Here's the Swahili translation for Deaton's spell:  
> na mamlaka ya mwezi, jua, dunia, hewa, moto na bahari nini mara moja waliopotea kurudi kwangu - By the powers of Moon, Sun, Earth, Air, Fire and Sea what once was lost return to me.
> 
>  
> 
> Here's some pictures that you don't have to look at; they're just a little something on the side that I thought I'd include :)  
> Stiles' room and en suite in the Hale house - http://postimg.org/image/r3qfs1l4l/  
> Stiles' outfit after their shared shower - http://postimg.org/image/yxr1dfsxh/  
> Not exactly Stiles' tattoos, but this is just to give you a slight idea of what I was thinking - http://postimg.org/image/9ls0e8iet/


	10. Dark Side of the Moon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We find Anakin, but he isn't quite the Anakin we know and love.  
> Some BAMF!Stiles and Derek/Scott broments + protective!Derek!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I know I totally suck for not uploading in so long but I now write all my fics in third person, so going back and writing in first for this fic (and a few others) is a little bit hard for me.  
> I'm really sorry, but I've been working on a lot of other fics that aren't even posted yet so eventually you will understand why I've been so crappy at uploading this fic.  
> I have SO MANY plans for this one, it's just a matter of getting it all written :P  
> I'm trying my hardest to get the next chapter up asap for you guys.  
> Apologies again :)

“Be careful.” I whispered in Derek’s ear, knowing he would be anything but that; he lifted me into a kiss, the setting sun gleaming in his eyes, making them sparkle with every colour an eye could be.

“I always am, and I’ve got Scott with me; what could possibly go wrong?” He mumbled against my lips; I shook my head, knowing all too well that a hundred things could go wrong with those two working together, yet I had to believe that they could do as they were told and work together properly. They had gotten along for a while, then apparently Derek started bragging about all the sex he was having in college to Scott and all the other teens younger than him; most of the guys worshipped their sex-god cousin but Scott was loyal to me. Scott came back to me with every new story, sporting sweatpants and multiple tubs of ice cream; bros before man-hoes, as they would always say.

“Bullshit; just try not to get _too_ hurt, and look out for each other, okay? I can’t lose you… either of you.” I held Derek’s hand as I patted Scott on the cheek, pulling him into a tight hug.

“Same goes for everybody; I am _not_ joking when I say you all better come back in one piece and _alive_. I know necromancy spells, don’t forget.” I winked at Derek as he and Scott mumbled to each other, throwing glances at me.

“Talia, you ready?” I put on a smile, because I knew I had to stay strong; it was practically in the job description. I looked around the silent buildings around us; the night sky twinkled above us, and as I made eye contact with each of the hunters hidden around us I nodded my head and they made hand gestures to acknowledge my ‘go ahead’.

“Mom, do that thing we watched in _Blade_ ; say it, _please_.” Derek’s grin had me laughing as Talia rolled her neck, hearing it crack slightly.

“I was born ready, mother fucker.”

“Dollar in the swear jar!” Peter chuckled and I joined his laughter, taking Talia’s hand in my own; I felt her power surge through me, causing the black branches of my tattoos to spread across my back, arms and legs, sprouting at the small of my back, spreading out in every direction until the tips of my fingers and toes were glowing with pitch black tattoos. My ears pointed slightly at the tips and my eyes turned a pure, pearly, milky white as Talia and my own power collided, sparking the shift in me.

My mom didn’t know why the tattoos never reached around to the front of my torso; she just said it’s the way the tattoos that aren’t even really tattoos work. Mom prefers to think of them as scars, but they look like tattoos, until they start glowing with a white light; then it gets harder to explain.

“Beautiful…” My mate whispered, and I could hear the tell-tale sound of his wolf in his voice; I smirked and with a final squeeze of the hand from Talia, we let go and strode forward.

“Places.” Talia barked calmly, chin up, body set in pure elegance and power; Peter and Theo moved around to the back of the bank while Isaac, Erica, Boyd and Allison went around the side. Derek and Scott smirked as Derek held out his fist in a way that the ring his thumb and index made was facing upwards and Scott pounded his own fist down on it, letting Derek repeat the motion when Scott kept his fist in mid-air. They then crouched for a second, gathering all their power before leaping up, catching the edge of the building’s roof; they slung their legs over and Scott sent me a thumbs up while Derek winked, pulling Scott to the vent they had to climb through.

“Think they know we’re here?” I asked, looking up at Talia for a split second to see her ever-present, calming smile on her lips.

“Most definitely; I can hear them positioning themselves at the entrances, but they aren’t expecting one certain thing.” Talia subtly nodded towards the roof; I levelled my gaze again as we entered through the front doors.

The hallway was dark, only illuminated by the crescent moon and stars outside, dust covered every surface and the place smelled like a foul mixture of damp and dust bunnies. The immediate sound of growls came from somewhere in the building and I had to wonder whose fight had started first.

My thoughts were cut short as Kali stepped out in front of us, malice prominent on her features as her facial structure twisted into the evil face of her Beta form. “Deucalion had hoped you would make the right choice, but _this_ is much more fun…”

Her shattering howl tore through the small hallway and I lifted my hand to use my powers on her, but she was fast, and she had my wrist in her hold in a matter of milliseconds; a growl erupted from beside me and I looked to see Talia in her own frighteningly beautiful Beta form, wrapping a strong, sure hand around Kali’s throat.

Her grip tightened on my wrist and I felt the bone break beneath her grip before she let go completely, eyes bulging and bloodshot as I bit down on my non-broken hand, screaming as the pain stung and pulsed through my arm. Tears flooded my eyes as I leaned against a wall, watching Talia tear Kali limb from limb, listening to her high-pitched squeals.

Talia’s human, blood splattered face came into my view through a haze of blinding pain as she took hold of the wrist I was cradling to my chest; she leeched away some of the pain while she peeled my hoodie off. Luckily Kali hadn’t broken the skin, so my hoodie was clean as she placed the fabric between my teeth; Talia felt around the broken bone gently, still leaching pain before she turned my face away and counted back from three before snapping the bone back into place. Despite the pain leaching, the shock that trembled through my arm was almost unbearable; she created a makeshift sling with my hoody and pulled me into a hug on my uninjured side.

“C’mon, we’ve gotta move, honey.” With her arms around me, Talia walked into the main, marble-walled room with me attached to her side. What I saw made my eyes water all over again as my knees threatened to give out beneath me.

The man that I assumed to be Deucalion had his arms outstretched and in his right hand, his sharp claws dug into the flesh of Scott’s neck; in the left hand, he had Derek in the same position as Scott. The more they struggled in his grasp, the deeper his claws cut into them.

I distantly heard the strangled, choked-off cry that left my lips before Talia’s hand came down on my shoulder, grounding me as I felt my tattoos and eyes glow in pure, unadulterated anger.

“Let them go _now_ you son of a bitch!” I screeched at him, to which he smirked; red aviators covered his eyes, but I could see the faint red glow behind them. Derek’s eyes flicked between my face and my heavily bruised wrist, looking pained and desperate, while Scott glared at the marble floor at our feet.

“Duke, why are you doing this? You were a good alpha, and a good man.” Talia’s controlled voice came from beside me.

“Why? Oh, Talia, _please_ ; I know you aren’t as naïve as you claim to be. Don’t tell me you’ve never just wanted to feel the kind of power that you know I feel. You’re a reasonable woman; I don’t want you or your pack. I just want _her_ ; she’ll look good at my side, don’t you think?” His airy British voice had me on edge and I shivered at the thought of what he was proposing while Derek’s ferocious growl ricocheted through the room.

“Stiles Stilinski… I’ve been watching you for months. Well, not watching, obviously, but you are a simply _fascinating_ creature, and I know you have some kind of sick loyalty to this pack, but just _imagine_ ; I can give you things, Stiles, things that nobody else could ever give you. Power, money, _control_. Of course, Talia’s pack has just gone and murdered mine, but I’m sure _we_ can make up for the loss my pack has suffered… you do hold that beautiful maternal glow; I can feel it.” A growl of my own shattered through my lips at his words; I could feel bile rise in my stomach, but I held it down and held my glare.

“Would you leave them alone?” I felt Talia, Scott and Derek’s eyes snap to me and I kept my breathing steady, using yoga breathing to maintain a steady heartbeat.

“Of course, Stiles; I only want what’s best for you, my dear. We would leave, and they would never be approached ever again. I can feel your willingness; I know you want this, Stiles.” Deucalion purred and I held his gaze as his fingers loosened on Derek and Scott’s necks; they looked as if they were going to kill him there and then, but I shook my head minutely, flicking my eyes towards them for a split second.

“Okay, Deucalion; you can have me. I am all yours, to do with as you please.” I kept my voice steady as I moved towards him; his footsteps walked him forwards slowly and I met him in the centre of the room, standing on the symbol I saw from Anakin’s point of view.

“They doubted me, my pack, they said you’d never abandon your pack, but I feel it in you; you strive for bigger and better things…” I smiled, sad that he couldn’t see its full effect.

I leaned up, cupping my good hand to the side of his neck gently, hovering by his ear, I winked at Derek, “Oh Duke, you didn’t _seriously_ believe me, did you?” I whispered before placing my palm on his forehead, watching blinding white light shine like lasers from his eyes and mouth; he was frying from the inside, out. I grinned, watching him topple to the floor, writhing for a few seconds before going completely limp, “Adios, _biotch_.”

My legs then decided to crumple beneath me and I closed my eyes against the pain that hummed through my body; I felt Derek’s arms around me and he leeched away my pain as he helped me to my feet.

“Stiles, should he be doing that?” Scott asked and I looked down at Deucalion’s body to see huge bubbles and shiny blisters rising across his skin; my eyes widened and I backed away, watching in horror as his skin reddened.

“Scotty, get back… get back, _now_!” I shouted and just as Scott jumped back, Deucalion’s body exploded, spraying blood and guts and bodily fluids across everything; a not-so-manly yelp left Scott’s lips and I looked around the large room to see Peter and Theo to the right – Theo looked shocked and completely disgusted, whereas Peter looked at the scene in a twisted kind of awe. Isaac, Boyd, Erica and Allison stood to the left of the room, each in a varying stage of horror, but one thing everyone had in common was the splatters of blood across their features and clothes.

“That was _totally_ _wicked_!” Erica cried, fist pumping the air as she wiped blood off her face; I rolled my eyes and looked towards the large round vault door. Through the door stood something my mind couldn’t fully comprehend; I had come here to get my wolf back, but what I was staring at was far from my wolf. It was a human being, a man, chained up by his wrists with his bare feet just barely touching the floor; he had messy black hair and pale skin, and his body slumped in a way that emphasised the long, deep gashes across his torso.

I stepped over the mess that was left of Deucalion, walking into the vault on shaky legs, “Anakin?” I called, because in this world, you could never be too sure; to my astonishment, his head lolled before lifting slowly. Bright, familiar blue eyes greeted me and the relieved smile that broke across his face tore into my heart like a knife; I frowned, moving forward. The mini bear traps that held his wrists, tearing through the skin broke easily with a flick of my good wrist, and before his heavy body could flop down on top of me, Scott’s arm wound around his waist and he draped an arm over Scott’s shoulder.

“I-it’s really you…?” I lifted my hand, stroked a hand down the side of his face, feeling the man’s stubble prickle along my palm. He nodded weakly, a small whine coming from his lips, before he cleared his throat and frowned.

“Stiles…” His voice was deep and gravelly, just as Anakin’s howl had been, and I gently pulled him into a hug, keeping mind off his torn up chest.

“C’mon; we’ve gotta get to the hospital.” I mumbled, watching Scott help my… wolf out of the vault and through the bank; Derek wrapped his arm around my shoulders and walked us through the bank behind everyone else. The feeling of his soft lips and stubble behind my ear relaxed me beyond belief and I had no protest in me when he took the Jeep keys out of my pocket and helped me up into the cab.

“What happened to your wrist?” He asked, unsure, and I smiled, taking his hand after he switched into fourth gear.

“Kali broke it… I- I- I feel like I should be freaking out or- I don’t know- _something_. I mean, Anakin is a _human_ ; what the actual fuck?” I frowned, watching Derek drive in a haze; the pain was almost blinding, yet completely numbing at the same time. Derek’s hand gently wrapped around my heavily bruised wrist and the pain eased up enough for my body to rest; I allowed the calm darkness of unconsciousness to consume me.

***

Being the only one built similarly to Anakin, Isaac leant him a set of clothes and Talia fussed over getting him fed after spending two days in hospital for his injuries. He sat in front of me in the Hale’s den while I devoured mini Mississippi mud pies and _Twizlers_ ; I always get a sweet tooth when I’m stressed/angry/sad/when it’s a certain time of the month. Nobody questioned it.

“So… all those times in my room… when I did… _things_ \- and you- you slept under my bed… I-” Anakin watched me with a knowing smirk as realisation and mortification settled within me. “Have you ever… ugh, I can’t! Ew!”

“I’m gonna stop that thought right now, Stiles; I’m a wolf, I have _never_ felt _any_ form of attraction to you and even in this body, I never will. I’m more attracted to Melanie Port’s poodle down the street than I am to you. I’m more interested in that… _superb_ rendition of ‘All out of Love’ you sing when lover boy’s being _extra_ douchey. _Air Supply_ … real classy, Stiles.” I flushed and buried my face in my hands as Derek sat down beside me, his body shaking with laughter.

“Don’t you dare laugh at me! I was singing that _because_ of you, asshat!” I grumbled, rolling my eyes as they both laughed at me; this wasn’t fair! I was a heartbroken teenager with an unrequited love problem!

“Okay, Stiles c’mon, I’m just joking, but uh… what do we do now? I don’t know about you, but I really don’t wanna be like this any longer than I have to; I’m a wolf, and no offence to you humans, but _damn_ these bodies are weird.” Anakin frowned, watching his fingers as he moved them.

“Okie dokie, I’ve found a spell, or rather a potion that should fix this…” My mom mumbled as she entered the room carrying her spell book and beastiary; she flicked between two pages, scanning the pages carefully. “This should be a simple case of you drinking some rather nasty stuff for the next week or so and the transformation should happen sometime in your sleep.”

Anakin looked less than enthusiastic.

“I have to spend a week looking like this? I look like an overly groomed douchebag with far too much time on my hands; what am I supposed to do for a week? What about my routines? This is going to interfere with my plans… damn werewolves thinkin’ they _own_ the damn place, fuckin’ with peoples plans…” Anakin grumbled; when I gave him a slight nod, he moved from his seat and slumped down beside my legs on the floor, nuzzling into my thigh with a thick air of doom and gloom about him just as he would in wolf form.

“You’re a wolf; what plans could you possibly have?” Derek quirked an eyebrow, inching closer to me purposefully; I could feel the caution and jealousy rolling off him in waves.

“Listen here pretty boy, you haven’t had your world fuck itself up since your ratchet ass hit puberty, so don’t you _dare_ assume you know what I’m going through.” Anakin shot a glare at Derek, practically scenting the werewolf’s annoyance on in the air.

The tension in the air was like a weight on my shoulders; Derek is my mate, but Anakin has been with me through most of my struggles. He knew the pain of becoming the Nymphai my pack needed; he also knew the pain I went through while Derek refused to acknowledge my existence.

Anakin’s resentment towards Derek was fully understandable, but I couldn’t stand the two of them being at each other’s throats; it put a physical strain on me.

“Stiles, you’re the closest person to Anie with the most incentive, so if you’d like to follow me out to the herb garden.” My mom raised her eyebrows, breaking the tension on the room; I gladly followed her, watching Anakin curl up in front of the fire grumpily. Derek eyed him for a minute before leaving the room to go about whatever it is Derek does with his spare time.

Gathering sprigs of herbs and pulling up different roots in the gardens, we took the ingredients down to the basement and began brewing the mildly offensive smelling elixir. I couldn’t fully believe that what was happening could actually be possible, but I wasn’t about to just let Anakin stay the way he is now.

“What’s going on between Anakin and Derek, Stiles?”

“I don’t- _well_ … I think Anakin’s angry at Derek because I forgave him so quickly after I waited so long for him, but Anakin just doesn’t understand how we feel about each other. I also think Derek’s a little jealous of how close Anakin and I are. Anakin still seems kinda pissed that Derek didn’t realise he’s my mate for as long as he did; Anie’s fierce but god damn it mom, I don’t doubt for a minute that Derek wouldn’t hesitate in taking Anie’s head off… I know it’s just a protective werewolf thing, but I can’t have them at each other’s throats.” Deflated and stressed to the max, I slumped into my mom’s arms and sighed, taking her silent comfort.

“Well, we can’t keep them separated; they both need you right now. They’re fighting for your attention because Anakin has never had to really share you with anyone and Derek is new to the effects of your attention; he doesn’t want to let you out of his sight for very good reason right now. The life of his mate has been threatened and that’ll mess up any wolf’s protective streak; you can’t give either of them more attention than the other, but you definitely can’t stop seeing them either.” Giving my body a final squeeze, my mom smiled and went back upstairs, leaving me to keep an eye on the brewing mixture.


	11. Laura's Luck...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I don't even know how to summarise this so I'm just gonna say read it and enjoy ;)
> 
> Also, I'm super duper sorry I haven't uploaded in a long time; I've just been really busy with college and driving exams n stuff, so bear with me :D

“So… Stiles… seeing as a belly rub is out of the question, how about we go out and actually do something? Y’know, like we normally would; hit the preserve, have a little fun?” Anakin eyed the baseball Derek tossed up in the air eagerly and Stiles shook her head, chuckling from the desk chair. Anakin sat on the large, flat beanbag he usually domineered while Derek lay on my bed tossing the ball up, catching it, and repeating the action subconsciously; Derek watched Stiles closely, eyes flickering from the cast around her wrist, the still bruised skin on her shoulder, and her tender, swollen red lips.

Stiles had the balls to admit that if it weren’t for Anakin being in the room, she would gladly be begging Derek to help her forget the past few days all together; this is definitely not where she saw herself at eighteen.

“Uh… I guess if you want to…” Her gaze fell on her cast; Anakin could see the blatant reluctance in her eyes and disregarded the idea while Derek watched them both silently.

“Wow… as a wolf I’m a nice presence in any room, but now I’m just a giant cock block on two legs. I’m gonna go now… yeah…” Anakin jumped up and stalked out of the room.

“Where are you going?” Stiles shouted back at him.

“Scott’s probably. I can’t stand it when you’re stressed and me being here… looking like _this_ isn’t making it any better. I’ll come back in a few hours to drink more of that shitty concoction that’s supposed to reverse this shitfest. Don’t worry; I’ll be careful and I won’t talk to strangers.” Stiles could hear the obvious smirk in his voice before the front door clicked shut.

Stiles’ eyes flickered over to her mate before she leapt out of the chair and straddled his thighs. “How have our lives come to this? What did we do to deserve this?” Stiles breathed across his Adam’s apple, locking her lips onto his collarbone.

“I don’t know, babe; it’s Beacon Hills… we should elope… leave this supernatural beacon behind and start a life in New Hampshire or Connecticut, or something. We’ll have a white picket fence, with a sweet little old couple living beside us, and an awesome gay couple on the other side; you can do all your magic stuff and I’ll become a world class author. Maybe have a nice small wedding with our nearest and dearest, have a few kids; who knows? What do you think?” Derek hated the sound of leaving his home, but he was really just trying to cheer Stiles up, and he’d try pretty much anything to do so.

“What’s the wedding gonna be like?” Stiles too just felt like humouring the idea.

“Hmm… you’ll wear a really poofy white dress that makes your boobs look awesome; the ceremony will be out in a forest somewhere where we can incorporate my traditions and yours. Then the reception will be in a nice country club; our moms’ will cry over the speeches, we’d eat the grandest of feasts, and then dance to Nothing Else Matters by Metallica for our first dance. We’ll get super drunk and fuck til’ we can’t keep our eyes open… and the next morning, I’ll carry you through the threshold of our cute suburban home, where we proceed to make lots of little me’s and you’s…” Derek’s fingers dancing along the curve of my back, mixed with the intoxicating sound of his voice lulled me into an almost-sleep daze.

***

On Anakin’s fourth day of being human, I took him to the Hale’s so he could socialise with the people I knew he could connect with. I sat watching _Keeping up with the Kardashian’s_ while Derek’s fingers tapped away at the keys of his laptop, legs sprawled across my lap; from what I could hear, Anie was in the backyard with Cora, Jeremy, Evan and Lois tossing a pig skin around whilst Lily sunbathed. Peter’s kids had always gotten along with Scott, so when Peter and Melissa announced their relationship to the pack, it didn’t take long for them to make Scott know what it felt like to have brothers and a sister.

“Stiles! Code red; I repeat code _red_!” Laura plummeted down the stairs, immediately dragging me up the stairs before I could even say goodbye to Derek.

“Dude, what’s wrong?” I gasped once Laura had slammed her bedroom door shut; she threw her body onto her bed, face down in her crossed arms as she proceeded to sob, jabbing an angry finger at her dresser.

I wandered over to the dresser, seeing a plastic bag from the local pharmacy. “Stiles… I’m late,” Laura whispered, sitting up on her bed as she wiped the snot and tears from her face. “My period is at least two weeks late, and I haven’t been late since I was like, _fifteen_ \- what am I gonna do? Jordan and I have barely even started talking about us being an official _thing_ ; this can’t happen!”

Taking a deep breath, I turned to her with a blank expression, “Have you taken a test yet?”

“No,” she sniffled, “but I think my wolf can just… _tell_.”

“Well, come on then, screw the tests; we’re going to Melissa because those tests aren’t always accurate.” I took her hand and pulled her off the bed; her long arms engulfed me in a tight embrace while she scented the top of my head.

“Thank you, Stiles.”

“It’s okay, Laura; you’re gonna be okay.”

***

So, apparently Laura was almost three weeks pregnant, and even Melissa, with her gentle hugs and calming words couldn’t calm Laura’s sobs; I sent a quick text to Cora, telling her to get her ass to the hospital – with Laura’s permission, of course.

Laura calmed down only minutely when Cora arrived, latching onto her sister’s body for dear life; Cora had ran to the hospital, so I could drive without having to worry about other cars, on the way to Derek’s apartment, I dialled his number and he answered straight away.

“Hey, what’s wrong with Laura?” He didn’t sound worried, so much as bored of her antics; she was always known for her dramatic take on normal situations, so people rarely blinked an eye when they saw her crying on my shoulder. After all, she had sobbed her eyes out when Zayn left One Direction.

“Nothing you need to worry about just now, but we’re heading over to your apartment to talk about some girl stuff, is that okay?” I knew he wouldn’t have a problem with it, but it would be rude not to ask him first.

“Sure, whatever you need; just text me when I can go home, yeah?” I nodded at his request, shaking my head when I realised he couldn’t see me.

“Yeah, that’s fine, thank you; just trust me when I say you’ll understand in good time. I’ll talk to you later, and I love you.” I waited for the returned ‘I love you’ before hanging up and veering towards Derek’s loft.

When I pulled up, Cora and I helped Laura carry her quivering body up to Derek’s loft, sitting her on the sofa before I put on a pot of chamomile tea. Pouring three cups, I joined the sisters on the sofa and handed them their tea. Quickly running up to the bedroom, I got a box of tissues and brought them down to Laura, watching her wipe the tears and snot from her face.

“Laur’ it’s going to be okay, you hear me? There are options; you know that, right? This really isn’t the end of the world; you know, you’ll be an awesome mom if you keep the little nugget.” I really didn’t know what the right thing to say was, so I just… said it all?

“No, no- I can’t- Stiles, I have to keep it. It’s not that, really; I’m at a good place in my job, I’m not ashamed to live with my parents when they give me so much support and help, it’s just… I kinda always saw myself raising a child with my some-day-husband… I don’t know how Jordan’s going to take this. And it’s definitely Jordans; he’s the only person I’ve slept with in the past two months.” Laura snatched the TV remote off the coffee table and turned it on, blindly flicking onto E! before turning the volume down.

“Well you’ve gotta tell him, and I think you’ll be surprised; Jordan’s a good guy and my dad said he’s gonna give his vote to Jordan when he retires, so he’ll be Sheriff someday. I think you should tell him sooner or later; he needs to know so you can _both_ figure out what you’re gonna do about all this.” I gave her the best reassuring smile I could muster while Cora sipped at her tea, looking about as awkward as one could get.

“You’re right; I’ll give him a call and I’ll tell him face to face. It wouldn’t be right to tell him over the phone. Should I do it in a public place or alone? Is there a certain _mood_ I’m supposed to set when I tell him? Y’know, I feel like there should be a certain kind of feeling in the room when I tell him; should I play _Phantom of the Opera_? _Rosemary’s Baby_? _Look Who’s Talking_? _Juno_? _Knocked Up-_ ” I clamped my hand down on her mouth, rolling my eyes at her.

“Okay, now you’re freaking out, and this is Jordan fucking Parrish we’re talking about; just take him out to O’Malley’s bar for food and some drinks, then just fill him in on the dealio. After that all you can do is await his reaction, and trust me; that guy has a heart of gold and I know for a fact that he is just _smitten_ with you. You should see him around the Sheriff’s department; it’s sickening.” I kicked my feet up onto the coffee table and sipped at my tea, watching the announcement of Kim and Kanye’s second baby. “Hey, look; at least you won’t fuck up your kid by turning it into a compass direction.”

“And they can turn this kid into a fucking condiment; South West could get more abuse than little old Nori. It wouldn’t get slushied in high school; it’d just get a face full of south west sauce!” Cora cackled, forcing us all into a bout of contagious laughter.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, so I put some Polish into this chapter because I thought it would really show the bond between Stiles and her mom.  
> I used Google Translate so if you know Polish and I got it completely off the mark, I'm really sorry and you can just correct me in the comment section :D  
> Translation:  
> Sukinsyn, to jest bzdura = son of a bitch, this is bullshit.  
> Matka = mother.  
> Kochanie = precious


End file.
